The opening week of the San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker was announced this Monday, while the first full day of performances is Friday, Dec. 15. This is the 33rd performance they have put on display, with members of the youth and adult SF Ballet companies participating.
Since the first performance in 1944, the SF Ballet has showcased the story of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince with their San Francisco spin according to TheSFBallet. The story in the SF Ballet showcases San Francisco Victorian architecture and classic streets.
“My ballet studio, Dance Training Center of San Francisco, put on their own rendition of the Nutcracker last year, and I am doing it again this year,” said sophomore Julia McKinnon. “I was Clara last year for DCTCSF, and It’s definitely a rewarding experience to be a part of a Nutcracker performance,”
“It gives me good memories about my childhood,” said Director of Admissions, Student Resources, and Academic Guidance Cesar Guerrero. “The show was a really good time for our family to be together, it’s not so much about the story, but more the fact that we were going to the show together.”
This annual event is held in the San Francisco City Hall and the War Memorial Opera House, where members of the SF Ballet company and the SF Symphony showcase their talents for the families and attendees. According to sophomore Elizabeth Fox, going to these shows is a tradition her family has adopted.
“The nutcracker brings up amazing memories for me because I have gone to these shows for so long,” said Fox. “We try to go every year so it becomes kind of like a tradition for my family,”
Most ballet companies begin preparing for the Nutcracker season in the beginning of September according to TheSFBallet. While the shows are only performed in the month of December the preparation lasts months.The art of ballet requires so much of your body while also expecting it to look effortless, according to McKinnon.
“Ballet in general and especially the Nutcracker is definitely an endurance type of activity because I was in my studio for thirty hours over one weekend,” said McKClara and the Nutcracker prince are the two protagonists who both explore Clara’s dreams through different places. This narrative is based around the Christmas season, making it a classic holiday balletinnon. “I think that people underestimate the level of dedication and how demanding it can be for your body to exert yourself so much while making it look easy.”
