The Nutcracker

Renowned around the globe, The Nutcracker is a timeless Christmas tale beloved by many. This December, the Victorian State Ballet brings this magical performance to the Top End.

^{By Jenna Kirkham}

KNOWN FOR ITS whimsical story and enchanting score, The Nutcracker is a traditional Christmas fable that transports audiences to a festive winter wonderland before delving into a mesmerising fairytale.

“The whole ballet is very magical, it’s one of those ballet’s that everybody loves and knows,” says Assistant Director, Michelle Sierra.

Set on Christmas Eve, the story follows Clara, a young girl who is given a nutcracker as a gift. Upon checking on him at midnight, she discovers he has come to life. A magical journey ensues as a battle with a horde of mice, led by the mouse king, arises, ultimately won by Clara which sees the nutcracker transform into a real prince.

“They then go to this beautiful land of snow, which is stunning, I love the snowflakes in their tutus – that’s a really beautiful scene and a very famous piece of music as well. The whole [musical score] is by Tchaikovsky, but the Land of Snow is quite a famous piece,” Sierra says.

Act Two finds Clara and her prince in the Land of Sweets. There, they’re joined by a gathering of beautiful dancers, as the signature bells of the Sugar Plum Fairy ring out.

“The whole ballet is original choreography, except for the Sugar Plum Fairy grand pas de deux – that’s traditional – so we’ve kept the original choreography for that one … We really keep the classical traditional version alive in our production, everything else is all choreographed by myself, and it’s got a nice sort of fresh touch on it all,” says Sierra.

Keen to bring the production up north, Sierra says it’s important to the ballet company to tour to regional areas. 

“It's very important to bring arts and culture to communities because it’s something that really does connect communities together, and that’s why we do it. It connects communities through dance, and dance can speak so much to a person,” she says.

“We work all year ‘round, and now it’s time to just really enjoy the fruits of our labour and have a wonderful time. A reminder, too, that there are people everywhere that we need to look out for that maybe don’t have family and are alone. To spread this to them as well, and to look out for each other.”

Encompassed with joy, and showcasing incredible talent, don’t miss your chance to experience this magical festive ballet.

The Nutcracker
WHEN FRI 13 DEC, 6PM | SAT 14 DEC, 3PM 
AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 
COST $55 | MEMB/CONC $50 | CHILD $30
INFO yourcentre.com.au