It's that time of year! Every season, the Ballet Theatre of Maryland puts away the sets and costumes from our fall performance to make room for all the excitement and revelry that The Nutcracker entails. This once-a-year tradition is so familiar that most ballet dancers can hum every note of the score. (You might, however, have a little trouble convincing them to do it.) We may perform it every year, but The Nutcracker still holds a special place in all our hearts for the memories it's given us.
Although The Nutcracker includes many show-stopping soloist moments such as the Russian dancer's gravity-defying straddle jumps or the Grand Pas de Deux's impressive partnering, the corps de ballet is the glue that holds the entire production together. The ensemble of dancers, particularly in the Waltz of the Snowflakes and Waltz of the Flowers, has the big challenge of creating visual unity as they run, turn, and leap across the stage. Without the corps, The Nutcracker would be much less grand and far less enjoyable.
Snow vs. Flowers: Two Different Qualities
Would you rather be a snowflake or a flower? This question, which seems better suited for make-believe in a preschool classroom, is a totally reasonable thing to ask your coworkers at BTM.
Corps de ballet member Sarah Hoffman sums up the differences between the two: "Geometrically, snow is more angular and flowers is more circular. For Flowers, you really want to emphasize the curves. In Snow, we want to emphasize the straight lines and polygons."
For Sarah, that means thinking about more flowing and connective movements as a Flower and more staccato movements as a Snowflake. When I asked which she preferred, she had to think about it.
"I like the contrast of the two. I would say that I typically am cast to dance more sharp movements, so I like getting to do something like Flowers because I don't get to as often."
Throughout the rehearsal process, we work closely with our Artistic Director Nicole Kelsch and Ballet Mistress Lindsey Bell to find the right quality of movement alongside the precision and clarity of our steps. Whether a dancer is performing as a Flower or a Snowflake, they must contribute to the greater harmony of the ensemble.
How Corpswork Fits in the Lifecycle of a Dancer
For many professional dancers (myself included), performing as a Snowflake or Flower is an important rite of passage. Being cast in one of these roles as a trainee or apprentice can sometimes be a dancer's first professional opportunity, and it's intimidating! Dianna Cuatto's Snow scene is particularly demanding, as it involves high jumps and snappy turns at a quick pace. Corps de ballet member Madeline Jones says that even now she has a big feeling of accomplishment after doing a full run-through of Snow corps.
Getting cast in your first Snow scene is a milestone for professional dancers, but it's only the beginning. Audience members may have noticed that BTM's snow corps includes every woman in the company from apprentice to principal dancer. This might seem like a consequence of our being a small ballet company, but it's more common than you might think! When I had the opportunity to perform in Snow corps as a second company member with Nashville Ballet, I danced side-by-side with soloist and principal dancers who were the Snow Queen and Dew Drop Fairy in other casts.
Continuing to dance in the corps throughout your career can make it feel more comfortable. Demi-soloist dancer Madison Sweeney relates it to having a traditional day job. "Now that I've been in the same Snow spot for so long, I'm like, 'It's just another Tuesday in the office,'" she says fondly. That level of familiarity makes even challenging choreography feel routine. Once we get onstage, layering on the flash and sparkle of a performance is what makes corps work especially brilliant.
The Joy in Dance: It's Better Together
One of the things we love about dancing in a corps is getting to interact with our fellow dancers onstage. Madeline Jones says, "I really enjoy dancing in the corps because I love dancing next to the people that I spend a lot of time with and have fun with."
Just smiling and making eye contact is important to staying together as a corps de ballet, but many dancers have small rituals they've built in over the years. Company demi-soloist Catherine Welch says, "It's about the secret little things you do with each person as you pass them. Caroline and I whisper "Whee!" as we circle each other in Snow."
Demi-soloist Clara Molina agrees. "When Catherine and I are standing in the wings on opposite sides of the stage before one entrance in Flowers, we do bull horns at each other and paw at the floor to rev up before we go out."
By the time dancers develop these traditions, they've logged many hours of practice perfecting their choreography. Onstage, these personal moments keep dancers focused on making every performance fresh and energetic. While we get to do this every day, it's exciting to remember that this may be an audience member's first time at the ballet. We can't wait to share it with our audience this year!
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Dianna Cuatto's production of The Nutcracker, and tickets are going fast! Please visit our Nutcracker page to reserve your seats today.
November 24, Hampstead
December 14, 15, 21, & 22, Annapolis
Promotional Photo by Joanne Marie Photography
*Me: "I can't wait to try to translate that into words."Clara: "It's not words. Just put in a clip of me doing this."
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