If you’ve ever taken a dance class in your life, you know for a fact that it’s so much harder than the professionals make it look. Even if it was just one class, you know what concentration and physical stamina it takes to get through even a pretty simple routine.
Ballerinas are known as some of the most graceful humans on this planet. They move about the stage as if it were nothing at all, and as easy and breezy as taking a stroll through the park. But that simply is not the case.
Ballerinas, while very graceful and beautiful to watch, are some of the toughest athletes out there. They can look delicate, but they’re made up of powerful muscle that can launch them high into the air.
Getting their lines absolutely perfect takes countless hours of practice, and keeping their body perfectly fueled and in shape is something they’ve got to balance every hour of the day. Anything less than perfection will not be tolerated, so only the best of the best make it to the top.
The Nutcracker is one of the most famous ballets. We’ve all heard of it, and I’d be willing to bet that we’ve all seen a rendition or two of it at some point in our lives.
While the premiere of the ballet in 1892 received some scathing reviews, it’s taken on a new life in these later generations. Below is a photo from the original performance in Saint Petersburg.
The score by Tchaikovsky is highly recognizable, even by folks that don’t pay all that much attention to classical music at all. Movements like “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” are ingrained in our hearts thanks to its appearance in Disney’s Fantasia.
The New York City Ballet’s version of the Nutcracker Ballet is the favorite of many. Choreographed by George Balanchine, the co-founder of the New York City Ballet, it became an instant classic. Every year since its premiere in 1954, it’s been performed at the NYC Ballet at Christmas time, and it was filmed in 1993.
This recording of “Waltz of the Snowflakes” was filmed over two decades ago, but the beauty lives on to this day! The dancers on this stage are so lovely to watch, with their tutus flowing with every leap and delicate bound. This performance gets even more incredible when you start to think about how difficult it must be to get that many dancers to spin and leap in absolutely perfect unison. It’s just awe-inspiring!
That’s what it takes to become part of the company at the New York City Ballet!
This is such a calming version of Christmas cheer, don’t you think? This time of the year can be pretty hectic and overwhelming, to say the least. With all of the shopping to get done, presents to be wrapped, meals to be planned and prepared, and parties to be put together, a little bit of downtime towards the end of the year can be quite hard to find.
If you get a chance to see a live performance of this, wherever you may be, consider taking the time to sit back, relax, and enjoy a good old-fashioned ballet performance!
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