For those who love dance and ballet, I offer you my Dance Best Bets for the Holidays. And there’s more than just The Nutcracker to enjoy. But there’s a lot of Nutcracker as well and not all productions are created equal, as you’ll see.
The list starts with programs with specific start dates. Following those listings are programs that are already available but have end dates.
Here are my Dance Best Bets for the Holidays:
Don Quixote – The Royal Ballet – YouTube – December 25th – January 6th
England’s The Royal Ballet is making their 2019 production of Don Quixote available for free on their YouTube channel.
This production was first introduced in 2013 and is based on the novel by Miguel de Cervantes. It tells the story of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, his servant, who set out on an adventure. When they meet a young couple who want to get married but her father has other ideas, they decide to get involved to make a happy ending not just for the two lovers, but also her father.
This Carlos Acosta production was inspired by the classic 1869 ballet by Marius Petipa. In 2019 Acosta made some revisions to his original choreography. Also introduced in 2019 were on-stage musicians. The music is by Czech composer Ludwig Minkus who also wrote the score for La Bayadère.
Clara’s Nutcracker Tea Party – Los Angeles Ballet – Now – January 1st
Rather than offer a traditional performance of The Nutcracker, Los Angeles Ballet has created Clara’s Nutcracker Tea Party.
Clara is the young girl at the center of the ballet. Joining her tea party are Marie, Columbine, Nutcracker, and Snow. During the party there will be excerpts from The Nutcracker and there is an interactive component that involved a package sent to viewers when this first aired in 2019. Though those packages are not available, there are suggestions on the website how to simulate that part of the experience at home.
Children will be encouraged to dance, make crafts and learn about the ballet they are watching.
Tickets are $39.99 and allow for replaying through New Year’s Day.
Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker – Netflix – Now available
Famed choreographer Debbie Allen (did you catch that pun?) has created a new version of The Nutcracker for the Debbie Allen Dance Academy students to perform.
This documentary, airing on Netflix, follows Allen and her students through the creation of a production of her ballet, Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. Allen infuses the ballet with examinations of body image, diversity and inclusion. Hers is a ballet that speaks to the world we live in today.
When Hot Chocolate Nutcracker played in Southern California last year, Allen said in her notes on the website, “I have taken tradition and given it a new context, fresh lively characters, new music and spectacular dancing to bring a vibrant, unforgettable theater experience for all ages to enjoy.”
For the 2019 production the music used included Mariah Carey, Tena Clark, Shiamak Davar, James Ingram, Chau-Gian Thi Nguyen, Arturo Sandoval and Thump.
State of Darkness – The Joyce Theater – Now – January 10th
In 1988 choreographer Molissa Fenley debuted a solo project called State of Darkness. The 35-minute seriously intense work is set to the music of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.
Fenley restaged her solo individually with seven dancers: 2020 Juilliard grad Jared Brown; Lloyd Knight of Martha Graham Dance Company; Sara Mearns of the New York City Ballet; Shamel Pitts, former Batsheva Dance Company member; Annique Roberts of Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE; Cassandra Trenary of American Ballet Theatre; and Michael Trusnovec of Paul Taylor American Dance Company.
Anna Kisselgoff, writing in the New York Times in 1988, said of State of Darkness , “Molissa Fenley’s use of Stravinsky’s ‘Sacre du Printemps’ as music for a new dance solo succeeds beyond expectation. A dancer who has been unmatched on the experimental scene for her explosive, even primal, energy, Miss Fenley has found her true center here.”
Tickets are $12.
And, of course, there is The Nutcracker itself.
Though a staple of ballet companies around the world, The Nutcracker was not considered a success when it debuted in St. Petersburg in 1892. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1960s that it became embraced.
In the ballet, Clara is enamored with a nutcracker that her godfather has brought to a Christmas eve celebration. Others aren’t so interested and Fritz actually breaks the nutcracker. After all the guests have left for the evening – and just as midnight strikes – Clara checks in on the broken nutcracker. That’s when the world of toys, mice, fairies, Christmas trees and her beloved nutcracker come to magical life.
The music was written by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky. If you’ve seen the Disney film Fantasia, you are well-acquainted with the music.
Not all Nutcracker ballets are the same. We’ve selected a few from which you can choose your own Nutcracker adventure.
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker – New York City Ballet on Marquee TV – Now – January 3rd
Choreographer George Balanchine danced the role of The Prince in The Nutcracker in 1919. Thirty-five years later he created his own ballet of this popular holiday classic. It became so iconic that it is now referred to as George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.
New York City Ballet is making this ballet available via Marquee TV. You have to register (if you don’t already have an account) on Marquee’s website. New accounts get a 30-day free trial. You can also rent it for $25 which allows for viewing for 48 hours after first starting the film.
Great Russian Nutcracker – Moscow Ballet – Now – January 1st
For $24.99 you can see how they dance The Nutcracker in Russia where the ballet first came to life. Tickets are available through December 29th, but you can stream the ballet through New Year’s Day.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker – Center Theatre Group – Now – January 3rd
Not a traditional Nutcracker! This is Jennifer Weber’s fusion of hip hop and contemporary dance. You’ll hear Tchaikovsky’s music, but it isn’t going to be just a full symphonic performance. A DJ and a violinist also provide accompaniment for a dozen dancers who perform, not in 19th Century German, but in contemporary New York City.
The performance opens with a brief set by MC Kurtis Blow and the production employees digital graffiti as part of its visuals.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker was recorded live at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. The performance runs 83 minutes.
There are 19 showings remaining. Tickets are $20 which allows for viewing starting at a set performance time (the schedule can be found in title link) and allows for continued viewing for a total of 24 hours. VIP tickets are $50 and include continued viewing for 72 hours; a signed poster and access to a pre-filmed Q&A.
Nutcracker Online – San Francisco Ballet – Available through December 31st
San Francisco Ballet’s 2008 production will be available for streaming throughout the holidays.
This production was choreographed by Helgi Tomasson. The company features Elizabeth Powell as Clara, Yuan Yuan Tan as the Snow Queen, Pierre-François Vilanoba as the Snow King, Vanessa Zahorian as the Sugar Plum Fairy with the grand pas de deux danced by Maria Kochetkova and Davit Karapetyan.
Tickets are $49 and allow viewing for 48 hours. There are also interactive components included. Tickets are available here.
Those are my Dance Best Bets for the Holidays. I hope visions of sugar plum fairies dancing fill you with joy.
I also have recommendations for Classical, Jazz and Musicals/Cabaret if you want even more choices.
Photo by Kacper Szczechia (@wyroq)