In holiday tradition, American Ballet Theatre’s “The Nutcracker” will return to Segerstrom Center for the Arts for a 12-show run.
This will mark the eighth season SCFTA has presented ABT’s production of the beloved holiday ballet, which will run Dec. 8-17 at Segerstrom Hall. The dazzling spectacle features an all-star cast, including exceptional youth dancers from the ABT William J. Gillespie School.
Co-presented by the Center and ABT with choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, the holiday production is based on “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” written by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and set to Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky’s magical score, performed live by Pacific Symphony.
SCFTA’s newly-appointed artistic director Susan Brooker, who oversees all levels of the ABT Gillespie Children’s and Pre-Professional Divisions, shares the magic of what makes the Center’s annual “The Nutcracker” so special.
What does it mean to you to be recently named Artistic Director of the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School?
It is a privilege to be given the opportunity to lead the faculty and students of the ABT William J. Gillespie School and to collaborate with Stella Abera, Artistic Director of the JKO School in New York to deepen the relationship between the two schools. I worked for Susan Jaffe briefly when she was Dean of the Dance Program at UNCSA and have enormous respect for her not only as an artist but also as a leader. It is an enormous challenge but one that is very exciting and rewarding at the same time.
What is the process of preparing the young dancers for the annual “Nutcracker” performance?
The students audition for a team of ABT Gillespie artistic staff and ABT production team. Once they have been selected, they have rehearsals every Saturday between 2:30 – 8:00pm from September until early-December at which time the ABT company comes to the Segerstrom Centre. Some students are cast for several roles so are committed to many hours of rehearsal every week.
How has the art of dance evolved over the years in your experience? What changes have you seen in youth dancers recently?
I believe that we have better tools to provide healthier methods of training to our students. We include body conditioning to reinforce classical technique, working with the whole person to support mental wellbeing, and accessing physical therapists who specialise in working with dancers. These are all factors that mean we can be more effective in the dance class.
Youth dancers now have to deal with unhealthy pressure due to exposure to social media, be it unobtainable standards that are presented as the norm, or peer pressure. They are already aiming to achieve extreme levels of technique and artistry and dealing with the burden of 24 hour social media influence adds an unnecessary layer of stress.
What makes the annual “Nutcracker” so special?
The Nutcracker is a seasonal tradition that adds a touch of magic and wonder to our everyday lives. Young children love story telling in ballets and the whole of the first act of The Nutcracker is about communicating the joy and excitement of the seasonal celebration. But a really good Nutcracker has layers of artistry for an audience of all ages making it an event that can be shared with all the family.
What are you looking forward to for this “Nutcracker” run at SCFTA?
I saw the ABT Nutcracker, choreographed by Alexis Ratmansky in New York, 2010, the year it was created, but have not seen it since. I was stunned by Ratmansky’s unique production and his wonderful choreography, so I am very excited to see the production again, this time with children from the school that I am now directing. I’m also looking forward to seeing dancers who were students at JKO in 2010 and who are now principal dancers in the Company.
Who are the youth standouts in this year’s “Nutcracker”? What unique attributes make them stand out?
We have some lovely young dancers as Clara and the Nutcracker Prince this year, Eden Bellouguet and Jordan Espero as Clara and Liam Boobar and Callum Simanski as Nutcracker Prince. These roles are very demanding from a theatrical point of view. The dancers have to appear entirely natural and unaffected in their expression, to enter into their roles with a maturity beyond their years. It has been a pleasure to see these children absorb the intricacies of the choreography and manage to sustain a quality of honesty in their performance. They will now have the challenge of matching that to the principal dancers with whom they will share the stage!
American Ballet Theatre: ‘The Nutcracker’ with Pacific Symphony
When: December 8– 17, 2023
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
More info: SCFTA.org
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