Welcome to Elan Ballet Theatre's third annual production of Clara Dreams! Our ballet, based on the E.T.A. Hoffman tale The Nutcracker & the Mouse King, begins in the Enchanted Forest of the Snowflakes, after Clara has helped defeat the Mouse King, and in doing so, has transformed her Nutcracker into a Prince. The couple travel to the Land of the Sweets, where they are greeted by The Sugar Plum Fairy. In honor of her bravery, and in gratitude to Clara for returning the Nutcracker to his princely form, The Sugar Plum Fairy presents Clara with a necklace, and calls her court to perform wonderful dances for her.
The score by Tchaikovsky is a perennial favorite, and although the vast majority of the ballet is all original choreography, the Grand Pas de Deux, is as best retained since the ballet's debut at The Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in 1892, the work of the prolific Marius Petipa.
Elan strives to make additions to Clara Dreams each year, and this year is no exception. Music interpolated from the party scene has allowed us to add Shortbread and Cranachan, as well as the Soldier Doll to last year's addition of Kissy Doll, and we have filled the Act II Overture with Victorian Skaters. Restoring the full length Grand Pas de Deux to the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier left Clara in need of a variation, so we have added the girl variation from Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, the work of George Balanchine, recently performed by Misty Copeland at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony for NYCB ballerina Patricia McBride. I hope you enjoy all the new works as well as the traditional pieces, some of which have been re-choreographed or re-staged for the third time. :)
Many thanks to my husband James for contributing his artistic talents to our set pieces, and to our children Davin, Anniella, and Siobhan, for sharing me with my ballet family. Most grateful thanks to Abby Hoppe of Evermore Photography as well as Kathy Dirmaier for capturing our dancers memories one gorgeous photo at a time, to Amanda Brunell for keeping everything quiet and seamless backstage (no easy feat!), and to Shawn Cimonetti for returning for a 5th performance to run our lights and sound. Many thanks to all our parent volunteers, I couldn't do it without all of you!!
Thank you all for your support of the fine art of ballet in your homes and in your hearts, and thank you for sharing your dancers with me. I couldn't be prouder of all of their achievements! Enjoy the performance!!
Happy Holidays!!
Alyssa Pettingill
Artistic Director
Elan Ballet Theatre
Elan Dance Theatre
Elan Academy of Classical Ballet
