Preview

History Of The Nutcracker Ballet

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
611 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
History Of The Nutcracker Ballet
Kimberly Guerrero
December 1, 2011
Dance 4/Period 4

The Nutcracker Ballet The Nutcracker is a two act ballet. The first act consists of 3 parts, the Party Scene, the Battle, and the Land of Snow. The second act consists of the Land of Sweets. The Nutcracker is about a girl who falls in love with a nutcracker doll who later turns into a prince. It first premiered on December 18, 1892 and originated from Germany. It was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The name of the ballet is the Nutcracker. The sound of the music all depended on how the dancers felt. If it was a dramatic scene the music would get loud and faster. If it was a sad scene the music would probably be soft and slow. My favorite part of the ballet happens in the second act. I really liked when the Sugarplum Fairy performed for them. …show more content…
The dancing went along with whatever music was playing. If it was dramatic they would dance together and then separate from each other in a dramatic way. If it was romantic they would dance together slowly. The whole play consisted of pantomime since it was a ballet. It did because they would use gestures to let us know what was going on. The main characters were Clara, the nutcracker, and the King of Mice. Their costumes and dancing did help me understand who they were. Clara wore a robe, since she did dream the whole thing. The nutcracker turned into a prince and the King of Mice just looked mean, even the way he was dressed. Clara and the Nutcracker like each other, that’s why they’re always together and looked at each other in this lovey way. The prince fights the King of Mice because he’s vicious and tries to harm them. It helped me understand by the way the whole ballet dance was
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Discuss the ways that choreographers use the aural setting to help them to communicate the choreographic intention. Use a range of examples from at least three professional works.
    • 1203 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Discuss the ways that choreographers use the aural setting to help them to communicate the choreographic intention. Use a range of examples from at least three professional works.

    Nutcracker! (2002) by Matthew Bourne is performed to the tradition Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky. It is a narrative ballet and throughout the dance the score is used to enhance the storytelling and the characterisation. At the start of Act One the Matron claps her hands and the orphans get to work scrubbing and cleaning the orphanage. The musical accompaniment is bright and busy with the opening phrase building to a climax, as this happens two orphans wheel on a sad looking Christmas Tree (a twig in a pot). The orphans gather around in excitement and amazement, enhanced by the climax in the score, and this shows how deprived the orphans are that they get excited about the arrival of this very sad tree.…

    • 1203 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Tchaikovsky Interpretation
    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Tchaikovsky Interpretation

    “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is one of the best known songs in The Nutcracker. Miles Hoffman, the music commentator for Morning Edition and a nationally renowned violinist, once stated, “And many of them [Tchaikovsky’s melodies] in this - just in this one ballet [The Nutcracker]- are immortal” (Hoffman). Tchaikovsky first began work on the music to the now internationally renowned ballet in February 1891 (Schwarm). While in Paris that year, he heard an instrument called the celesta, whose name is derived from the word celestial, being played, and thought its unique, twinkly sound would be perfect for the music of the fairy-tale ballet he was working on. This instrument is used as the melody in the song “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” (“History of Nutcracker”). In March 1892, selections from the orchestral suite were performed for the first time; however, the ballet, based on Alexandre Dumas’ lighter adaption of the fantasy story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by E.T.A. Hoffman, premiered on December 18, 1892 along with Tchaikovsky’s opera, Iolanta, at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia (Schwarm). Originally, the ballet was not popular; however, it…

    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Nutcracker: San Francisco Opera Ballet
    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Nutcracker: San Francisco Opera Ballet

    First performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the classic Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker has been shown for over 100 years. The composer, Peter Tchaikovsky, and choreographer Marius Petipa teamed up to create a timeless production as an adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s tale "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." This pair had previously worked together on another classical ballet, Sleeping Beauty.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dancing In The Nutcracker Ballet
    • 983 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Dancing In The Nutcracker Ballet

    The Paper Fan is a piece of art that in its time has been in the presence of princesses, ninjas, and college students. Taking on several roles both in an imaginary and reality. Each experience aging the paper that stretched across bamboo frame. Opening it reveals a water color and ink print covering the face of the fan. Painted is a family of birds before a background of greenery. Fully expanded the width reached to fourteen inches and standing in length at nine inches. Width shrinks drastically down to one and quarter inch when closed. Unlike the length with is virtually untouched, remaining at nine inches. Surrounding the edges of the fan are tears in paper and chipped shafts. Falsifying the actual age of the fan. Attributed the constant use throughout its time. Overall, the fan gives a sense of calm and delicacy. The origin of provenance reaches across the Pacific Ocean, my father would travel to Japan returning with various Japanese art pieces. Bequeathing me the Paper Fan at the age of eight. Notably, the significance of this piece stems from the calm and still that surrounds the simplistic form. In that calm the…

    • 983 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Nutcracker Dance
    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On Nutcracker Dance

    In order to embrace a classic holiday tradition, dancers from Denise Gucwa’s School of Dance performed “The Nutcracker” on Sunday December 6.…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Powwow Research Paper
    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Powwow Research Paper

    My favorite dance was the women’s jingle dance. Personally, I felt that the Jingle dress stands as musical instrument itself because of the metal clinking. In other words, a simple dance movement such as crossing the dancer feet can produce beautiful music along with the sound of the drums. It was interesting to see the women dances to move and stop their fetes exactly when the drum beats.…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Don Quixote Performance Analysis
    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Don Quixote Performance Analysis

    One minute it’s upbeat “Spanish” rhythms and the next is slow and steady romantic pieces for the lovers within the drama. By the use of such musical connotations, the overall impact of the ballet is enhanced; so I would venture to say that this is utility music. I can also see the overall ballet as ternary form due to its three major sections. The first section in act one states the thematic material of a conjunct melody yet vivacious rhythmic patterns, connecting me with the carefree and in love feeling evoked. It carried a more elated structure. The second section, on the other hand, relays the contrasting theme of a darker more ambiguous tone. Then returning to the light in the final section restating that thematic material. However during act three, I also felt it had its own quick three part form. When the unwanted finance’s entrance is accompanied with the loud chromatic music and the cuts at the end of pieces causing disjunct melody are acknowledged, a contrast to the thematic material occurs. Though it does quickly returns to the blissful and contented connotation that began this section and all is well in the end. I was unsure of whether or not that was real or if at this point in time I was just searching for something to write in my notes for my…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Nutcracker And The Mouse King Essay
    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Nutcracker And The Mouse King Essay

    The world of The Nutcracker can’t be completed without the music score from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, a famous Russian composer who also wrote the Swan Lake. The two main sources of hearing for the audience are from the storyteller, and the classical music from Tchaikovsky. One of his most famous works for the Nutcracker is Op. 71a 11. b. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The soothing music goes well with all the graceful and beautiful movements. The Nutcracker and its music is surely a great introduction to ballet and classical music to a newbie like…

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Reaction Paper On Alvin Ailey
    • 1724 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Reaction Paper On Alvin Ailey

    The music for this section of the first dance was slow mellow jazz trumpet like sounds. I noticed that the dancers moved all around the sage and their spacing between each other was close. It seemed like they were on top of each other. The tempo of the beat was slow and the duet emphasized the movement of the legs they also had a smooth fluid energy. There was no stillness in this dance.…

    • 1724 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Descriptive Essay: Obeying The Piped
    • 1722 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Descriptive Essay: Obeying The Piped

    She tried reaching into the depths of her memory for the steps to the waltz. As they began to dance, she realized it wasn’t necessary. They moved together in fluid motion across the ballroom. Their steps were in sync with each other and the other couples as they circled the room. It had her curiosity aroused as she had never mastered the dance during her long ago class.…

    • 1722 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Nutcracker: The First Ballet
    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Nutcracker: The First Ballet

    The first ballet we watched was Matthew Bourne’s The Nutcracker! This ballet was made in 2003 and was the contemporary version of the original version of The Nutcracker because they are in an orphanage. The second ballet we watched was Barishnikov’s “The Nutcracker.” This is based on the original version of The Nutcracker and was made in 1977. Even though both ballets are different versions they still used the same composer which is Tchaikovsky. For instance, when the variations are dancing both of the ballets play the same music, but have very different costumes and dances. This is just one example of how the two ballets differ from each other.…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Dance In The Nutcracker Dancer
    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Role Of Dance In The Nutcracker Dancer

    Dancers putting all of their body weight on the tips of their toes effortlessly and yet people still believe that it is not a sport. Actual dance has been around since about 6000 B.C. It wasn’t brought into America on the mayflower; it has originated from each individual culture, from New York to Africa to Russia. People say that dance is just twirling and jumping on the stage however, Dance is, and should be considered a physically demanding sport.…

    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Nutcracker Concert
    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Nutcracker Concert

    During the Nutcracker I recognized some of the music through out the show. It was classic music that played. The Nutcracker reminded me of the music we listen to in class when we were learning about there romantic period. I thought that the dancing was very pretty and went along with the music very well. I was amazed how you could hear all the different instruments during the show. I personally heard the violin a, flute, cello, clarinet, horns, trumpets, trombones, and also I heard the string family in the Nutcracker. There was more instrument in the show, but the instruments that mention stood out the most to me while I was at the show. I thought all the dances went well and corresponded with the music. I thought of the flow of the music…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Nutcracker Music Analysis
    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Nutcracker Music Analysis

    On November 28th, 2015 I attended Ben Stevenson’s version of The Nutcracker which was being performed by the Houston Ballet at the Wortham Theater Center. The dance featured two separate acts and multitude of dances as well as a live orchestra. The Nutcracker demonstrated the Stevenson’s ability to deliver a cohesive performance whilst maintaining the illusion of fantasy using music composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky of the Romantic era, eloquent set design and usage of techniques such as lighting and special effects, as well as precise choreography and overall cohesiveness of the dance and the music.…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Art Appreciation of Ms. Veronique Doisneau's Ballet, Swan Lake
    • 1622 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Art Appreciation of Ms. Veronique Doisneau's Ballet, Swan Lake

    It becomes emotional when you discover how powerful the impression it is trying to make. The performance is actually the enactment of the role of a corps de ballet from the scene of the classical, Swan Lake. Corps de ballet works as one, with synchronized movements and corresponding positioning on the stage. It is a group of dancers who are not soloists, which means that they only serve as the “shadows” to the “stars.” Ms. Veronique Doisneau narrates in the beginning that it is the most horrible thing we do. The performance has become an outlet for her to express her emotions.…

    • 1622 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics