NYCB Vol. 13 No. 15 - Nutcracker

[15/52] Counting down 52 NYCB Nutcrackers this year with stories from NYCB dancers past and present! Today we hear from Tim Fox who danced in the company from 1977-1983:

“Nutcracker memories come back in a sort of collage. My early years were with Tulsa Civic Ballet which is now Tulsa Ballet and I was the Drummer Rabbit in the battle scene. (I originated the role there by the way.)

“My NYCB days I got to be Mouse King and actually got a positive review in the NY Times and I remember thinking ‘I’m never getting out of this role now!’

“I always loved the New Year’s Eve shows [when dancers would pull pranks during the show]. There was one time a couple girls wore mittens in Snow and lots of shenanigans in Party Scene.  But the year Misha was in the company, Peter Martins came out in that little box and did Chinese. The black pants looked more like shorts on him and he was amazing in the role!

“Then at the end of the pas de deux Misha was dancing with Elyse Borne and out came Sean Lavery and Peter Martins in the Cavalier’s costume and they took turns doing pirouettes with Elyse. Then in the coda at the end, Misha went to center stage and did turns in 2nd and Peter and Sean came out of the wings doing coupe jetes in a circle and went around the stage and then off again while Misha did a million turns and finished center stage!  I was laughing so hard but still in awe of how great they were just goofing around. Truly a once in a lifetime experience and the audience went nuts! (pardon the pun)

“I went onto San Francisco Ballet where I was a principal and did Cavalier and Snow Pas (choreographed by Helgi Tomasson). In the picture I’m dancing the Snow Pas with Jamie Zimmerman and Snow is still my favorite music in Nutcracker!”