Seeing “The Nutcracker” is a beloved American Christmas tradition, and in Boston, the place to see it is at the Boston Ballet.
In addition to the many twirling adult ballerinas, there are a lot of children in various dancing roles: 240 across three casts. One of those children this year is Alicia Lee of Newton, a fourth grader at Mason-Rice Elementary School. She will be dancing as a polichinelle, one of the children who emerges from under Mother Ginger’s skirt.
Alicia has been studying at the Boston Ballet School since she was three, but this will be her first year in The Nutcracker. She is excited to get to perform on the big stage at the Boston Opera House.
Alicia is also studying piano at the New England Conservatory’s preparatory school, so she appreciates the combination of dance and music.
“I really enjoy dancing with the piano and how every movement has a meaning,” she said.
The Nutcracker’s score is by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, also known for the 1812 Overture.
The Nutcracker initially received a significant amount of criticism for the number of child dancers it had.
A review of the first performance in the St. Petersburg Novoye Vremya in 1892 read: “In the first scene the entire stage is filled with children, who run about, blow their whistles, hop and jump, are naughty, and interfere with the oldsters dancing,”
In the United States, however, the children of the Nutcracker are seen as charming small cast members, and it’s also seen as a good way to introduce young dance students to the world of professional ballet.
The Boston Ballet School students are with the professional dancers for rehearsals starting in October and are exposed to different aspects of performance they don’t get in the classroom. One difference
between “The Nutcracker” and a regular ballet recital, is, of course, the audience of people other
than one’s parents.
“It is amazing to see how dance can connect with others,” Alicia said.
The Boston Ballet School’s Classical Ballet program, in which Alicia is a participant, is intended to expose students to the world of classical ballet, as well as other forms of dance, like modern and contemporary, with an eye to future professional development.
“We find comfort in knowing our child is being taught in a thoughtful and consistent way because of the program structure,” Alicia’s father, Christopher, said. On the other hand, unlike some dance programs, the school wants to balance dance with the rest of a student’s life. “We also love how the program focuses on both a love of dance and the importance of building life skills,” he added.
Generally, dance practice doesn’t conflict with school, although the rigorous Nutcracker rehearsal schedule is an exception. “Although it does require some planning and adjustments, we have found it well worth the efforts as these experiences build upon Alicia’s time management skills and teach her the importance of balancing responsibilities,” he added.
The Nutcracker runs from now through Dec. 29 at the Boston Opera House. More details can be found on the ballet’s website.