Review: The San Francisco Ballet Presents The Nutcracker, A Virtual Experience

Bundling up in warm winter coats and heading to the ballet this time of year is a time honored family tradition. For many, The Nutcracker has become THE HOLIDAY SHOW NOT TO MISS each winter season. And this season is no exception! Thankfully, the creative minds at the San Francisco Ballet have found a way to bring The Nutcracker straight into your home!

If you’re unfamiliar with the story, The Nutcracker Ballet is loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy story entitled “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King. The ballet debuted in December of 1892 at St. Petersburg’s famous Mariinsky Theatre and has since become the most frequently performed of all ballets.

In 1944, the San Francisco Ballet brought the first full length performance of The Nutcracker to America under the direction of Willam Christensen and has continued to present a production yearly since its premiere.

In 1986, current Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer, Helgi Tomasson premiered an entirely new and stunning Nutcracker production which continues to delight audiences of all ages to this day. Set in one of San Francisco’s iconic “Painted Ladies” homes of the Victorian era, the costume and scenery include many notable elements of the city, making this production a uniquely San Francisco affair.

Since we can’t celebrate the season together this year due to the pandemic, true to its commitment to excellence, the San Francisco Ballet is offering an interactive online holiday experience to include a full production of a prerecorded Nutcracker, plus games, activities, informative historic & choreographic videos, a photo booth and a virtual tour of the War Memorial Opera House.  The interactive program book is delightful as well.

Elizabeth Powell, current Soloist and former student of the San Francisco Ballet School stars as young Clara in the previously filmed production. A grown-up Elizabeth Powell appears in a welcome video offering an introduction to the interactive experience and encourages all to have fun and enjoy the many facets of this offering to the public. 

The production stars a plethora of truly remarkable talent. Stand outs include but are not limited to Davit Karapetyan as the Nutcracker Prince, Yuan Yuan Tan & Pierre-François Vilanoba as the Snow Queen & King, Maria Kochetkova as the Grand Pas Ballerina, Vanessa Zahorian as the Sugar Plum Fairy, & Damian Smith as Uncle Drosselmeyer. The dancers’ technique sets the standard we have come to expect from the prestigious San Francisco Ballet. It’s always quite a treat to see the children of The San Francisco Ballet School join in to perform as guests of the party in the 1st Act and as fairies and cute little bugs in the opening of the 2nd Act. The sets and costumes are a notable contribution to the overall production value. And the beautiful music composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is unrivaled for holiday memories.

There is a magic to this particular production. It can weave its way into the hearts and minds of children of all ages. Whether it’s your first time or your 50th, the story as told by San Francisco Ballet is one to be treasured as well as one that’s hard to stop humming and dancing to well after it’s concluded! 

The cost to gain access to the virtual ballet performance & interactive experience is $49.00, which gives you 48 hours from your first login, from now until December 31, 2020. There is an option to gift this treat to friends & loved ones and opportunities to donate to the San Francisco Ballet directly. As you may know, artists and companies supporting the arts have struggled tremendously this year, due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

One can also click on the SHOP tab to purchase a unique San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker or other marvelous gift items from books to jewelry, to SFB Merchandise.

Join in the fun and become an audience member, a fan or share as a gift to that special child or person in your life.

Review by Jennifer Massey

Jennifer has been a ballet professional dancing internationally before opening her own studio, Gualala Dance. She is an American Ballet Theater Certified Teacher and proud to include, a breakthrough 9 level program that combines high quality artistic training with the basics of dancer health and child development. Although Gualala Dance has closed its physical location, Jennifer continues to coach & teach via Zoom so anyone can join.

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