The Nutcracker
A Family Holiday Show in Two Acts
About the Production:
Aplomb Ballet Artistry LLC (formerly A Terre Ballet) produces ballet for a contemporary audience. Our mission is to reach our audience through vulnerability. We employ physical humor, the use of sound elements, and careful attention to lighting and choreography to draw our audience into the stories we tell. The audience’s experience and their enjoyment of our production is of the utmost importance to us. Additionally we curate a cast of diverse performers ages 4-99 from a cross section of artistic disciplines. Our unique casting allows us to portray the dynamics of true life within the enclosed space of fantasy. In an effort to maintain performance quality, we hire dancers as needed to fulfill roles, student talent may not be prepared to fill.
The Nutcracker is a classic tale. Aplomb Ballet Artistry, however, produces an updated version of the narrative. Our mission is to carry on the Nutcracker tradition within our community, but to present the show with dignity for all. In the process we found a way to add layers of meaning that our audience’s could connect with. It has been a privilege to present and develop this show at the Covina Center For the Performing Arts since 2019. We are looking forward to the potential of partnership with the City of Covina for the production year of 2023.
Synopsis:
Our tale begins Christmas Eve, 1892, in the workshop of a whimsical inventor and toymaker called Drosselmeyer.
Drosselmeyer is working on toys to take to his godchildren. He tinkers with two life sized dolls that he has created to entertain the children. He is also working on fairy tales to share with the children: the story of the Snow Queen, the story of the queen of flowers called Dew Drop Fairy, and the story of the Sugar Plum Fairy who reigns over the Land of Sweets. He has made a doll to represent each character that he will give to some of the girls at the party after story time.
Tonight, Drosselmeyer is also finishing up work on a Nutcracker doll, although it does not represent a fairy tale character. While Drosselmeyer loves to entertain his godchildren, he mourns the decades past loss of his dear nephew. This Nutcracker doll is a fleeting image of the heroic soldier the young man could have grown to become.
Meanwhile, in the home of his godchildren, Mr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum are welcoming relatives to their Christmas Eve party. In our version of this tale, Claire Stahlbaum is reluctant to commit to a suitor brought to their home by distant relatives. Although her cousins are settling into their future as brides, Claire is dreaming of magic and true love on Christmas Eve. Drosselmeyer entertains the party with his imaginative toy creations. The children adore the life-sized dolls, and each girl is fascinated with his stories of princesses from far-away lands. However, Claire finds herself drawn to the novelty and mystery of Drosselmeyer’s Nutcracker. She requests an opportunity to look more closely at The Nutcracker. Honored and flattered by Claire’s interest, Drosselmeyer gives it to her to keep. The doll fills her with a sense of wonder and she begins to dance happily. Claire is interrupted by the young man hoping to ask for her hand in marriage. Drosselmeyer, recognizes her hesitance. He responds by instigating support from her loving and silly younger brother, Fritz. Fritz cleverly helps Claire avoid the proposal until the night is finally over. Guests leave as the evening comes to a close. Later, Claire falls asleep only to find herself waking in a world of wonder where her Nutcracker is transformed into her companion, and the people in her life are just as magical as the content of her own heart.
About the Director:
Ms Danielle Balciunas approaches her process from her diverse set of experiences in theater, music, and dance. Her first passion has always been classical ballet but as a young person, she relished the opportunity to gain experience in any genre she encountered. After spending time on tour internationally as a collaborator and dancer for Heartbridge Inc based in Kona, HI, she spent a season dancing for Light of the World Ballet company in Syracuse, NY. She returned to southern California where she spent two years under the mentorship of the late Sophia Carreras as a student at Riverside Community College and a dancer for Intersect Dance Theatre, under the direction of Ms Carreras and Infinitum Nataraj, under the direction of Stephanie Gilliland. Ms Balciunas, then transferred to University of California Los Angeles to complete her BA in World Arts and Cultures with an emphasis on dance and choreography. While in college, Ms Balciunas began producing, choreographing, and directing postmodern and contemporary ballet works. Meanwhile she established a training ground for dancers in her productions known as A Terre School of Dance. After graduating from UCLA, Ms Balciunas has continued to perform professionally and train with local companies including Inland Dance Theatre, and Anaheim Ballet. She most recently spent three seasons as a dancer with Ballet Melange Denver, Colorado. In addition to her continued involvement in performance as a dancing artist, she has spent countless hours training dancers in her school to perform alongside her and her peers and to launch performance and teaching careers of their own.