Inspire Dance Centre has been performing The Nutcracker for 29 years, after this year’s performance. The production of The Nutcracker is time-consuming, and a huge number of factors go into its making. The Nutcracker is a story told through symphonic music and great performing arts.
The Nutcracker is inspired by a young girl named Clara who gets gifted a nutcracker on Christmas Eve from her uncle. After bedtime, Clara goes to sleep, and that’s when her dream begins. The Nutcracker comes alive and takes her on an adventure of a lifetime. The Rat King arrives and has a long battle with the Nutcracker. In the end, the Nutcracker wins, and he defeats the Rat King. Clara goes on many journeys with the Nutcracker and is shown different worlds. She meets the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Snow King, and Queen and Mother Ginger.
The Nutcracker consumes dancers’ lives: heart, blood, sweat, and tears are put into the production. A long three months go into making it perfect for the three performances that they do. All the memorization that goes into not forgetting the dances can be draining. Not to mention, the backstage crew that makes sure all of the lights, music, and props are perfect.
Inspire Dance Centre is an amazing platform for young and experienced dancers. The play incorporates both sides to make it enjoyable to watch. You can see little kids running around in mouse costumes and being all cute, and you are also able to watch beautiful dancers twirl and tell a whole story on stage.
Riley Hyman, a dancer in The Nutcracker, states, “Dance has changed my life by teaching me so many lessons I couldn’t learn anywhere else. Dance has also given me a way to express my emotions when I don’t have the words to say it, which creates a closeness to the people you’re dancing with.” At Inspire, it’s a community, and everybody is there to support and love one another.
With the preparation of the Nutcracker lasting a whopping 3 months, it’s important to everybody that it is done perfectly. While they only get to perform shows 3 times a year, the memories are there for a lifetime. The Nutcracker is special to so many dancers, and it holds a close place in their hearts. “The best thing about The Nutcracker is getting to showcase our talent to so many people and getting to share this experience on stage with my friends,” states Hyman.
The Nutcracker is engaging and keeps the audience looking forward to every actor that walks on stage. Each part is so unique that you try to watch them all at once. Hyman goes into detail about what makes the nutcracker what it is. “Something special about The Nutcracker is that we get to have professional male dancers from the Oregon Ballet Theater come and dance with us. We also get amazing choreographers from all over who help us prepare for the performance.”
Dance is a beautiful form of art that we get told through the emotions of the dancers. If you didn’t get a chance to see The Nutcracker this year, make sure you go next year. It is a performance that you do not want to miss!
