By Jen Avison Smith
Get ready to welcome back The Mouse King and The Sugar Plum Fairy to the holidays. The Nevada Ballet Theatre, the state’s largest dance company, is bringing back its signature production “The Nutcracker” for the 2024 winter season.
The story is well-known to many. Young Clara receives a nutcracker on Christmas Eve, which mysteriously comes to life and transforms into a prince. He takes her on a crusade through a forest and other ensuing adventures.
NBT Artistic Director Roy Kaiser says many elements lend to the legacy, from the intricate costumes to the instantly recognizable scores associated with Christmas. Whether heard in elevators or department stores, ballet goers are likely to recognize the works of Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
“Tchaikovsky’s music for ‘The Nutcracker’ is, in my opinion, one of the most perfect compositions ever created,” Kaiser says. “It’s a very familiar, comforting, beautiful piece of music that has something to do with the holidays.”
Beyond the details, the tale is timeless. Attending yearly performances of “The Nutcracker” is now a ritual for not only fans, but also generations of families who associate the production with the holiday season.
“If it weren’t for ‘The Nutcracker,’ I don’t think classical ballet companies would exist the way they exist today,” Kaiser says. “Everybody knows the music, and the music is brilliant. Many productions have brilliant choreography to go along with it, as well. But more important than any of that, it became a holiday tradition.”
While many ballet companies perform “The Nutcracker” across the world, NBT brings its own spin on the tale in the form of its one-of-a-kind location. “The Nutcracker” has a 12-year run at The Smith Center, the premier performing arts center in Downtown Las Vegas.
Elements like the three-story dollhouse onstage and other touches of whimsy create an unforgettable display on one of the city’s signature theater spaces. Kaiser notes that James Canfield, his predecessor as artistic director, created this production of “The Nutcracker” to coincide with the opening of The Smith Center.
“The Smith Center is such a game-changer,” Kaiser says. “It’s an incredible facility. They did it right, every aspect of it. It’s a wonderful place to work. It really gave Nevada Ballet Theatre as a resident company an iconic destination home.”
Perhaps its most important element is the dance troupe. Nearly 60 dancers across the Nevada Ballet Theatre professional company and its affiliated school are involved with the production this year, all with their own unique styles and creative agency in the performance.
“The Nutcracker” fans are in for a treat this year. The production will continue after its normal Christmas Eve conclusion with two more showtimes on the Thursday and Friday after Christmas Day.
More: NevadaBallet.org + TheSmithCenter.com
