USPS Publication Number 16300
T h is C o m mu n i t y N ewsp a p er is a pu bl ica t ion of E sca m bia / S a n t a Rosa B a r Assoc ia t ion
Se r v i ng t he Fi r st Jud icial Ci rcu it
Section A, Page 1
Vol. 18, No. 50
Visit The Summation Weekly Online: www.summationweekly.com
December 12, 2018
1 Section, 8 Pages
Ballet Pensacola offers a Fresh Take on a Classic Tradition By Gina Castro
Every family has their own Christmas traditions—whether it is hand-picking this year’s Christmas tree or driving around town to see Christmas lights. For many in Pensacola, Christmas means seeing The Nutcracker at least once. For a ballet made in 1892, The Nutcracker remains an American classic. Although The Nutcracker and ballet in general is beautiful and classical, ballet can sometimes be hard to follow for those not immersed in the form. However, Richard Steinert, Ballet Pensacola’s artistic director, makes an effort to liven up this traditional piece and make it more accessible to a variety of audiences. “I think this production was born more out of fear than inspiration,” Steinert said. “I was afraid of people leaving my production of The Nutcracker feeling tired. We set out to do something classical and fun by adding more entertainment values that fit today’s audience more than the people from 1892.” One way Ballet Pensacola keeps The Nutcracker fresh is by making sure the piece feels new to both the dancers and the audience by adding new accessories and modernizing the costumes. “We got new Flower costumes that are a little more contemporary but still inspired by the classics,” said Christine Duhon, Ballet Pensacola costume director. “They are a little shorter and a little more form-fitting. The dancers love them and it makes them feel inspired, and it makes us feel inspired.” Ballet Pensacola’s production of The Nutcracker is a balance of tradition and contemporary. Duhon makes small changes to modernize the classic piece. Usually the tutus in the Snow Realm are just white, but the Pensacola production uses shades of pale pink, blue and white along with rhinestones
to present a shimmery snow and ice inspired tutu. These subtle changes in the length and color of the tutus keep The Nutcracker fresh and new, Duhon said. “You often don’t think about the impact the set and costumes have on the audience, but the audiences are a little bit more sophisticated than they use to be,” Steinert said. “So they want it to be a tutu, but they don’t want to look at the same tutu on every girl all of the time. They expect changes in the costumes. They expect for things to move a little more quickly. They expect some sort of magical things to happen with the lighting or with the set.” The audience today is far more accustomed to technology than the audience in 1892. In order to cater to a modern audience, Ballet Pensacola spends more time and money on their production of The Nutcracker than any of its other productions. Their use of technology in the set transports the audience into the story of The Nutcracker via unique set designs including a two-story house split on stage and a Drosselmeyer toy shop rising from below the stage all before the audience’s eyes. Their snow machine also brings
Mother Ginger in Pensacola Ballet’s 2017's performance the ballet to life by adding life-like snow to the wintery scenes. The influx of technology puts a spin on tradition without losing the magic of a classic. Including unique technologies isn’t the only way Ballet Pensacola updates The Nutcracker. “Most companies when they go to the land of the Sweets, there will be a Chinese dance and a Spanish dance and an Indian dance,” Steinert said. “And to me, that just borders on offensive. I don’t want anyone to go to my ballet and ask, ‘does anyone else find this offensive?’” Ballet Pensacola makes an effort to update the content and message for their audiences. One way they achieve this is by changing the ethnic-based dances to dancing sweets that represent people from all over the world. The ballet also changed the scene from Clara’s brother breaking her nutcracker toy to Clara breaking the toy herself. They decided to make this stylistic decision because they didn’t want to send the message that boys are villainous. Steinert said that this alteration also encourages the audience to sympathize with Clara. The ballet also reduces violence in The Nutcracker.
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“I think it is time to have no guns in The Nutcracker,” Steinert said. “We have made an effort in our productions to reduce the amount of violence. We did Romeo and Juliet without all of the sword scenes and all of the killing because I don’t want killing on my stage.” Steinert replaces the violent scenes with humor to amplify the Christmas feelings of joy and love. The ballet’s alterations focus on the family friendly and fun aspects of holiday stories. Ballet Pensacola’s alterations present The Nutcracker with a unique Pensacolian twist. “You really must, if you work with any classical pieces, find a way to balance being respectful to and inclusive to the original style and intent and still market it to your audience,” Steinert said. Performances of The Nutcracker will be held at the historic Saenger Theatre on the following dates: • December 21 at 7 pm • December 22 at 7 pm • December 23 at 1:30 pm For more information, visit balletpensacola.com or pensacolasaenger. com.
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