Pacific Northwest Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ Backdrop Tells Its Own Story
The busts in the backdrop are actual historic figures associated with this timeless classic
By Gwendolyn Elliott November 20, 2018
This article originally appeared in the December 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
Clockwise from top center portrait (1, depicting E.T.A. Hoffmann, original author): 2, Marius Petipa (original choreographer), 3, Lincoln Kirstein (who helped establish the New York City Ballet, where The Nutcracker has been performed annually since 1954), 4, George Balanchine (renowned NYCB choreographer), 5, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (composer), 6, Lev Ivanov (Russian ballet dancer who choreographed The Nutcracker with Petipa) and 7, Alexandre Dumas (author who adapted Hoffmann’s novella into the ballet The Nutcracker)
This article appears in print in the December 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.
If you’ve ever wondered whether the magic of this perennial production might be wearing thin, take another look. Peer beyond George Balanchine’s crisp choreography and the artistry of the Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers who bring the ballet to life (look for newly appointed principal dancer Leta Biasucci in multiple roles), and examine this backdrop, created by set and costume designer Ian Falconer.
The busts are actual historic figures associated with this timeless classic (see caption for the who’s who). The cameos above Tchaikovsky and Balanchine? George and Martha Washington. The Christmas star that appears at the end of Act I? It’s a piece from Dale Chilhuly’s Chandelier series. And the pig? Well, we’re not going to tell you everything.
11/23–12/28. Times and prices vary. McCaw Hall, Seattle Center, 301 Mercer St.; 206.441.2424
Follow Us
Holiday Hunt in Pioneer Square
A daily ornament drop turns December into a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt.
The holidays tend to bring out the kid in all of us. And if opening presents and eating too many treats weren’t enough, there’s also a scavenger hunt in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood. Pioneer Square’s Holiday Ornament Scavenger Hunt has returned for its third year. Twenty-five handblown glass ornaments—all made at Glasshouse Studio—are hidden across 25…
Chit-Chat Kids
Phone a friend.
Twenty years ago, before everyone walked around with a device in their pocket, kids used to call each other on a landline—often tethered to the kitchen in their home. It was a simpler time, when parents didn’t have to worry (nearly as much) about a potential predator contacting their child. Nowadays, things are different, which…
A Plate for Pickleball
The design celebrates the state’s official sport. Additional plates are on the way.
Washington served up a new license plate last week, honoring the state sport of pickleball. In the works for three years, it’s the second of seven specialty plates to hit the market since getting approved by lawmakers earlier this year. “We’re thrilled to see our efforts become reality,” says Kate Van Gent, vice president of…
Seattle-Based Agency Brings Real Voices to NBC’s New Campaign
DNA&STONE built the project around candid conversations to understand what audiences want from reporting.
“I turned off news altogether. I want to be able to form my own opinions. Just tell the truth.” These lines open NBC News’ new national campaign, a 60-second ad that drifts over forests, farms, neighborhoods, and cityscapes while Americans talk about how worn out they feel by the news. The landscape carries the conversation…