When Joseph Morrissey took the position of Director of Dance at Interlochen Arts Academy earlier this year, one of the shows he was most excited about producing was The Nutcracker.
“One of the first things I asked about is, ‘Do you have a Nutcracker?’ And they said, ‘Not only do we have a Nutcracker, but we’re building a brand new set.’”
Morrissey has high ambitions for this classic, and wants to make sure it appeals to a variety of audiences. He says there are a lot of different elements— romance, comedy, and some suspense.
“Especially with the mice,” says Morrissey. “They are supposed to be scary— they are the conflict of the story. But we also have to keep in mind this is a holiday production. So, there is a lot of comedy as well,” he says.
One of the most recognized portions of the ballet, is the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Gabriella Dorman, a senior from Traverse City, says playing the part is a dream come true. When she found out she won the role, she remembers calling her mom on the phone.
“It’s definitely the role that I think every little ballerina has dreamt of performing,” says Dorman. “It was the first big role I ever saw, and I just have always wanted to do it.”
Now, when Dorman hears the song being played in stores at Christmas time, she perks up a bit more. She says it’s fun, because now she knows how to dance the part.
Kelly Kleiman is an arts critic from Chicago. She thinks the main reason The Nutcracker continues to be so popular is because of the music. “If Tchaikovsky did nothing for the rest of his life…he could go to his maker unashamed for having written that fabulous music,” she says.
In fact, Kleiman says people who might imagine themselves not liking dance, will still be willing to sit in an auditorium and listen to Tchaikovsky’s music. She says you can’t ask for more than that out of a piece of artwork. “Something that will bring them in and maybe open them to the possibility that this entire art form is accessible to them,” says Kleiman.
Interlochen Arts Academy will unveil their new Nutcracker set with four performances next week.
The shows are sold out, but you can watch a live stream of both Saturday shows here.
