Behind the Scenes at Festival Ballet’s The Nutcracker
Among the things we learned: Ballerinas can bench more than you.
It’s the night of rehearsal at Festival Ballet’s The Nutcracker. The popular Christmas show looks effortless in its execution, but is actually a product of hours of training. Ballerinas warm up on stage, limbering their bodies for a taxing rehearsal. Among them is Jordan Nelson, whose long, untamed hair and tough demeanor make him a modern James Dean. He wants you to know that ballerinas are not wimps. “I like going to the gym to see beefcake bros trying to put up numbers. I can outset anything they do. They have twig legs and I can leg press more than they could imagine,” he says. “Guys at the gym say ‘leg day is the worst.’ Every day is leg day for me. My life is leg day.”
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D7EC101FES“When I was a kid, the Nutcracker was the highlight of my year. It still is. I still look forward to it so much; it’s one of my favorite shows.” –Kirsten Evans Photography by Dana Smith“When I was a kid, the Nutcracker was the highlight of my year. It still is. I still look forward to it so much; it’s one of my favorite shows.” –Kirsten Evans Photography by Dana Smith
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D7EC100FESRehearsal is filled with the sound of music starting and stopping. Ballerinas wait side-stage for their turn to leap into the limelight. It’s in these pauses that they take a moment to soak it all in. Or to just rest their feet. Photography by Dana SmithRehearsal is filled with the sound of music starting and stopping. Ballerinas wait side-stage for their turn to leap into the limelight. It’s in these pauses that they take a moment to soak it all in. Or to just rest their feet. Photography by Dana Smith
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D7EC99FESThere’s little rest for weary ballerinas, but they aren’t the only ones sweating. Stagehands bustle behind the scenes, pulling ropes and angling lights to make sure everything runs like clockwork. Photography by Dana SmithThere’s little rest for weary ballerinas, but they aren’t the only ones sweating. Stagehands bustle behind the scenes, pulling ropes and angling lights to make sure everything runs like clockwork. Photography by Dana Smith
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D7EC98FES“It always cracked me up at the Vets when we had this because we’d find snow afterwards for months!” –A stagehand Photography by Dana Smith“It always cracked me up at the Vets when we had this because we’d find snow afterwards for months!” –A stagehand Photography by Dana Smith
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D7EC97FESPhotography by Dana Smith
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D7EC96FES“[Misha] is the most passionate director I’ve met. He does a million things, but when he’s in rehearsal, his eyes light up more than the kids. This is his passion.” –Jordan Nelson Photography by Dana Smith“[Misha] is the most passionate director I’ve met. He does a million things, but when he’s in rehearsal, his eyes light up more than the kids. This is his passion.” –Jordan Nelson Photography by Dana Smith
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D7EC95FESRehearsal begins. Kids run around laughing as artistic director Mihailo “Misha” Djuric tries to keep them in line. Ballerinas do their variations, trying to remember the corrections they were given. But there are many distractions. Kirsten Evans, who plays the Sugar Plum Fairy, says “the role is so long, my mind starts to drift. This morning my partner’s button fell off, so during my whole variation I was thinking, ‘where’s that button!’ But I was also thinking don’t show it, be happy!” Photography by Dana SmithRehearsal begins. Kids run around laughing as artistic director Mihailo “Misha” Djuric tries to keep them in line. Ballerinas do their variations, trying to remember the corrections they were given. But there are many distractions. Kirsten Evans, who plays the Sugar Plum Fairy, says “the role is so long, my mind starts to drift. This morning my partner’s button fell off, so during my whole variation I was thinking, ‘where’s that button!’ But I was also thinking don’t show it, be happy!” Photography by Dana Smith
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D7EC94FES“Don’t tell the ladies, but my weights are women.” –Jordan Nelson Photography by Dana Smith
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D7EC93FESPhotography by Dana Smith
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D7EC92FES“If you feel like you did a good job getting your face and hair ready, half the battle is over. When you’re on stage, it gives you that fake confidence.” –Kristen Evans Photography by Dana Smith“If you feel like you did a good job getting your face and hair ready, half the battle is over. When you’re on stage, it gives you that fake confidence.” –Kristen Evans Photography by Dana Smith
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D7EC91FESAs the clock ticks closer towards rehearsal, it’s time to get ready. Many ballerinas feel a calming ritual in putting on makeup and costumes. But there’s also pressure to look good, to be the thin, lithe ballerina audiences want. Ballerina Alex Lantz says the girls have it the worst. “The top part of the costume is like a corset. The girls have to breathe out so they can close it, and their breath becomes more shallow. They want to look thin.” Photography by Dana SmithAs the clock ticks closer towards rehearsal, it’s time to get ready. Many ballerinas feel a calming ritual in putting on makeup and costumes. But there’s also pressure to look good, to be the thin, lithe ballerina audiences want. Ballerina Alex Lantz says the girls have it the worst. “The top part of the costume is like a corset. The girls have to breathe out so they can close it, and their breath becomes more shallow. They want to look thin.” Photography by Dana Smith
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D7EC90FESPhotography by Dana Smith
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D7EC89FES“People think we’re wimps, but I go out there and do some of the most athletic stuff I’ve ever done. I’m in the best shape of my life.” –Jordan Nelson Photography by Dana Smith“People think we’re wimps, but I go out there and do some of the most athletic stuff I’ve ever done. I’m in the best shape of my life.” –Jordan Nelson Photography by Dana Smith
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D7EC88FESPhotography by Dana Smith
Even with the soundtrack stuck in their heads (along with visions of sugar plums, we’re sure) and pain in their limbs, it’s all worth it for these ballerinas. The Nutcracker is glorious.
