NYCB Vol. 13 No. 39 - Nutcracker

Photo by Martha Swope

[39/50] Counting down 50 NYCB Nutcrackers this year with stories from NYCB dancers past and present! Today we hear from Frank Ohman who was a soloist in NYCB from 1962-1984.

“I always tried to let my partners shine. Too many male dancers I have seen are perfunctory partners, impatiently waiting for their variation. They are missing the joy of partnering. I always treated it like a romance, a lofty one, and perhaps not so coincidentally I was a sought-after partner. Partners need to be sensitive to one another, and must be able to communicate in seconds.

“I once did the Nutcracker pas de deux with Maria Tallchief in New York. We had not rehearsed with the orchestra, so when we actually performed, we were shocked to find how slowly the orchestra was playing the music. It was almost slow-motion! Maria and I looked at each other, and knew what we had to do. Afterwards, she told me, ‘You are a real pro.’

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“As he so often told the company, that dancers learn by doing, Mr. B also instructed us through doing, not just through conversing. Over my twenty years with the Company, I was consistently cast in the Nutcracker, most often as the Father. Since the Father is onstage so much, it gave me the opportunity to learn every child’s part. Periodically, I was cast in other Nutcracker roles including the ‘Spanish Dance’ variation and the ‘Candy Canes’ dance. Dancing a variety of roles in the same ballet was quite beneficial. Since Mr. B had predicted that I would ultimately teach, one of his teaching methods, I am certain, was casting dancers in different roles in the same ballet, especially one as large as the Nutcracker. His farsightedness enabled me, as a teacher and choreographer, years later, to mount the entire production.”

[Quoted from Balanchine’s Dancing Cowboy by Frank Ohman]

Photos by Martha Swope