Home > Features > The Nutcracker '09 offers new spectacle and special guests

The Nutcracker '09 offers new spectacle and special guests

New costumes and local families help create Fort Wayne Ballet's holiday tradition

By Jim Fester

Fort Wayne Reader

2009-11-24

Fort Wayne Ballet opens the 2009 holiday season with its classical rendition of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker for nine evening and matinee performances from December 4 through December 13, 2009.

The opening weekend evening performances on December 4 and 5 also feature The Fort Wayne Philharmonic orchestra and the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir in musical accompaniment.

This year, the Ballet welcomes Joffrey Ballet guest artist Ariel Cisneros in the featured role of the Sugar Plum Cavalier. Cisneros was born in Cuba where he received his training at the Professional School of Arts in Havana and Santiago de Cuba. A performer since the age of 10, Mr. Cisneros has danced with Ballet Camaguey, National Ballet of Cuba, Teatro Municipal of Rio de Janiero, Cleveland Ballet and Kentucky Ballet Theater. He is a former member of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and has also appeared as a guest artist throughout the United States, Brazil and Europe. In 2006, made his debut as a soloist with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in Aida and Carmen.

“I am amazed by the quality of Fort Wayne Ballet’s Nutcracker, and I am happy to be returning to your city this year,” says Cisneros. “I always welcome the opportunity to work with Karen (Gibbons-Brown, FWB’s artistic director) and her dancers.”

Additionally, this year’s performances are comprised of many local families (parents, children, and siblings) involved in on-stage and back-stage roles as part of the cast of more than 200, making it truly a family event for the holiday season. It takes as many as five offstage support people for each dancer on stage. Collectively, the dancers, technicians, costumers, musicians, and choreographers will spend more than 2,500 hours in preparation for this year’s performances.

The 2009 performances of “The Nutcracker” will debut a number of new costumes, including six Spanish torreodors wearing “Traje du luce” (Suit of Light); three Marzipan costumes for the pas de trois performed in the “Dance of the Reed Flutes; two Chinese costumes for the “Dance of Tea”; and 10 new headpieces for the Snow Flakes that include more than 1,350 Swarovski Crystals. Also required are 115 pairs of pointe shoes used between rehearsals and performances. Pointe shoes are comprised of seven layers of gauze and glue and last about eight hours.

“Few people realize the level of time and treasure that is required for a performance of this magnitude,” shares Karen Gibbons-Brown, artistic and executive director of Fort Wayne Ballet. “We are so very fortunate to have such exceptional community support and appreciation for this holiday classic and for the work shown by our students enrolled at the Academy of Fort Wayne Ballet and in the greater community. Performance is only one component of what we do really well — our students are applying their training and skills to performances like The Nutcraker and being wholly recognized for their success. We are pleased and honored to share this with the greater Fort Wayne community. We simply couldn’t do it without every participant or audience member.”

Fort Wayne Ballet presents The Nutcracker
All performances are held at Arts United Center, 303 East Main Street

Friday, December 4 @ 8 pm * (w/Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Fort Wayne Children’s Choir)
Saturday, December 5 @ 2:30 pm (matinee performance)
Saturday, December 5 @ 8 pm * (w/Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Fort Wayne Children’s Choir)
Sunday, December 6 @ 2:30 pm

Tuesday, December 8 @ 7 pm

Friday, December 11 @ 8 pm
Saturday, December 12 @ 2:30 pm (matinee performance)
Saturday, December 12 @ 8 pm
Sunday, December 13 @ 2:30 pm

Tickets: December 4th & 5th at 8:00pm: Adults $36; Seniors (60+) & Youth (11-18) $31; Children (3-10) $26

All other performances: Adults $26 – Seniors (60+) & Youth (11-18) $21 – Children (3-10) $16

For ticket information, contact Fort Wayne Ballet’s box office at 260-484-9646, or visit online at www.fortwayneballet.org.