‘Nutcracker’s‘ history as storied as the ballet

Kimberley McGee

Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2000 | 9:21 a.m.

It debuted more than 100 years ago to an unimpressed audience.

But in the past 30 years "The Nutcracker" has become as much a sign of Christmas as the annual airing of the classic film "It's a Wonderful Life" on television.

The Nevada Ballet Theater presents Tchaikovsky's ballet beginning Thursday at UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre.

Margot Mink Colbert, assistant chair of the dance department and the director of ballet for UNLV, said that the public's reception to the musical production in 1892 in St. Petersberg, Russia, was tepid at best.

"It was not received well," she said. "People loved the music but not the dancing."

The premier choreographer of the 19th century, Ivanov, arranged the dances for the whimsical production, but Tchaikovsky's musical score was what stuck in the minds of the public.

The ballet resurfaced from obscurity in London in 1934, and again in New York in 1940, but the George Balanchine production in 1954 on Broadway started a holiday tradition.

"It's not been popular ever since it's been choreographed," Mink Colbert said."It's only become popular in the last 30 years, and I think television had a lot to do with that."

Television brought ballet into the homes of the average American, and the music stayed with the audiences throughout the years.

"More people have heard the music than have seen the ballet," she said.

In 1975 there were 50 theater groups around the country performing "The Nutcracker." Now there are more than 500, Mink Colbert said.

"Fifty was a lot then. It's just grown in its popularity," she said. "It's a very accessible ballet. It has fantasy, it has excitement, it has romance and magic."

Bruce Steivel, NBT artistic director, said the play is a natural for children to enjoy and to introduce them to the world of ballet.

"It's such a wonderful children's story," Steivel said. "It has action and beauty and it has the growing Christmas tree. Kids don't get bored."

Steivel's version of the ballet uses more children in the scenes because, well, that's what the story is about -- a child's dream come true.

"It's a children's story so the more kids you have in it, the more realistic it becomes to the kids watching," Steivel said.

Clarice Geissel-Rathers, principle dancer for NBT, has played a variety of roles in "The Nutcracker" for the past 17 years.

"What would Christmas be if we did not have 'The Nutcracker'? " Geissel-Rathers said.

She grew up wanting to play the Sugar Plum Fairy.

"It's a ballerina's dream to do Sugar Plum," Geissel-Rathers said.

In 1990 her dream came true when she was finally chosen to play the Sugar Plum Fairy, a role she has continues to perform -- and to cherish.

"We do 24 to 28 shows a season, so I've probably done 420 shows of 'The Nutcracker,' " she said.

Is she bored with the music, the scenes, the characters?

"It's that whole magical feeling, and I love performing, and 'The Nutcracker' is when we get to perform the most."

The trained ballerina still gets lost in the glossy scenes of snow and toys and children dancing. "You're in a magical kingdom being in rehearsals day in and day out, and then once you get in the theater it's like, 'This is what I work for,' " Geissel-Rathers said.

"It's the magic of it all, the magic of performing, with Christmas making it extra special."