Dresden: The Nutcracker

Дрезден: Щелкунчик

Peter Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” is certainly one of – if not the – most popular “family” ballets in the world. This production from the Semperoper combines the work’s fairy-tale aspects with a visual opulence that would have done justice to the Czar’s court.

Based on the celebrated original ballet libretto by Marius Petipa, choreographers Aaron S. Watkin and Jason Beechey have joined forces to create a new interpretation that presents a modern yet traditional choreography oriented on a classical ballet vocabulary. The sets are inspired by Dresden’s famous Zwinger and the “Striezelmarkt”, one of Germany's oldest documented Christmas markets. The exceptionally spirited dancing, charming sets and extravagantly beautiful and elegant costumes by Roberta Guidi di Bagno make the production a joy to behold.

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Actors

Marie (adult)

Anna Merkulova

Nutcracker The Prince

István Simon

Drosselmeyer

Oleg Klymyuk

The Mouse King

Claudio Cangialosi

The Sugar Plum Fairy

Yumiko Takeshima

The Sugar Plum Fairy's Husband

Jiří Bubeníček

Queen of Snowflakes

Julia Weiss

Marie (girl)

Lydia Jahn

Crew

Choreography

Aaron S. Watkin, Jason Beechey

Set and costume design

Roberta Guidi Di Bagno

Conductor

Vello Pähn

About

The beloved story of little Marie, whose gift nutcracker transforms itself into a prince during the night, unfolds in a novel way: instead of having the children’s roles of the first act danced by adults, as is often the case, this production entrusts the roles to actual children and youths from Dresden’s famous Palucca School of Dance. Thus little Marie is first performed by young Lydia Jahn before being replaced by professional soloist Anna Merkulova in Marie’s dream sequence.

Impressive in the lead roles are, besides Anna Merkulova, István Simon as her Prince, as well as Yumiko Takeshima and Jiri Bubenicek as the Sugar Fairy and her husband. “A firework of top performances from the dancers,” (Morgenpost), the evening zips by in a sugar-rush of exuberant mice and angels, fairies and princes, and all with the immortal music of Peter Tchaikovsky performed by the Staatskapelle Dresden under Vello Pähn, who “lets the music’s colors glow with impetuousness and beauty” (Sächsische Zeitung).

Zitate:
“It is sweetly designed, well danced and performed with dazzling beauty” / “Es ist herzig gemacht, gut getanzt und leuchtend schön musiziert”
Sächsische Zeitung

“... a great deal of dancing with lightheartedness and joy” / “... wird mit Unbeschwertheit und Freude auch viel getanzt”
Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten

“With Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet ‘The Nutcracker’ The Semperoper is making its audience a beguilingly beautiful christmas git. Thunderous applaus after the premiere.... A firework of top performances from the dancers...” / “Mit Tschaikowskys ballettklassiker ‘Der Nussknacker’ macht die Semperoper ihrem Publikum ein berückend schönes Weihnachtsgeschenk. Tosender Beifall nach der Premiere ... Ein Feuerwerk tänzerischer Spitzendarbietungen...”
Morgenpost

“The premiere audience was beside itself with joy... The company dances with passion, verve and eleganz – tip-top dancing through and through” / “Das Premierenpublikum war aus dem Häuschen... Die Compagnie tanzt mit Leidenschaft, Verve und Eleganz – eben Spitzentanz durch und durch”
Sächsische Zeitung

Special project

The Nutcracker Marathon

This year’s Nutcrackers include: a tender, youthful production by students of the Vaganova Academy; a watercolor, cozy staging from the Dresden Opera; a grand, Hoffmann‑esque somber Viennese Nutcracker choreographed by Nureyev; an elegant, classical performance from the stage of the Berlin State Opera starring Vladimir Malakhov and Nadia Saidakova; a fairytale production by Matthew Bourne, an elegant tribute to 1930s musicals and early Hollywood; and the most beloved, long‑awaited New Year’s ballet version – staged by Yuri Grigorovich at the Bolshoi Theatre, among others. →