NYCB Vol. 13 No. 49 & 50 - Nutcracker

Counting down 50 NYCB Nutcrackers this year with stories from NYCB dancers past and present! If you recall earlier this season I met an older woman named Arlene up in the 4th ring and it turned out she had been in the Nutcracker as an SAB student for many years! Well here is her story!

“I would have to say, without a doubt, performing in the Nutcracker as a kid was one of the most unique, magical and memorable experiences I’ve ever had. And so very much fun.

“Little did I realize at the time that this would be so. But now, almost 65 years later, I can still remember all my steps as a Candy Cane and the butterflies in my stomach whenever I hear the music for Tea—the act that came before us. I was the first Candy Cane out of the gate and couldn’t even peek to see the conductor raise his baton before the music started–and I had to jeté on to the stage at just that moment. I even think I had the chutzpah to ask the conductor if he could just give us a downbeat. I was amazed to see the Candy Canes this year walking out on the stage and waiting for the music to begin. How long have they been doing that? I think that’s cheating, but how I would have loved to do that.

“From 1956 to 1961, I “danced” as a soldier, an understudy boy in the party scene (in those days Fritz was the only real boy), a Candy Cane and an angel, when we were the oldest members of the children’s corps. While as angels we didn’t move around a lot, we did get to stay on stage for the entire second act, which was an incredible opportunity to see everyone’s performance from Hot Chocolate to the finale, and all their solos and pas de deuxs in between. With differing casts many afternoons and nights, we watched all the ballerinas and their partners dance, and of course, we very knowledgeable 13 and 14 year old students critically evaluated every one. 

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“My soldier role may have been the least challenging, but also yielded a special memory. When it was time for the mice to scoop us soldiers off the stage, the mouse who came to get me was Edward Villella, at the time a member of the corps, who we all thought was cute. We referred to him as “Eddie,” and wondered who in the corps might be his girlfriend. I have always thought it would be fun if I had the opportunity to meet him, to say simply: “You were my mouse.” And he’d know what I meant. Not a lot of people would, but I suspect many in your audience will. 

“For me, the iconic Clara and Fritz were Zina Bethune and David Richardson. And like probably most of my fellow students, I longed to play that role. I would practice the scene where Clara runs around the growing tree and finally kneels with the Nutcracker in its bed. I did the same in my little living room in Queens, kneeling before a tree that did not grow. One of the most unique opportunities I had during Nutcracker audition time, was the opportunity to try out for the role of Clara with four other girls. In front of George Balanchine. We each had to enact the scene of Fritz and Clara, waking up and peeking at the activities behind the scrim. I admit, I didn’t have any acting skills, so I was not hopeful. But the young girl who was chosen certainly did. She was Bonnie Bedelia, and while not ultimately a dancer, her career progressed rather well over the years.”

P.S. The serendipity of my meeting Lauryn at the Nutcracker December 18, 2024 has its origins in dance as well. Actually I was taking a community ballet class at Jacob’s Pillow last July when I misstepped and fell, breaking my femur in three parts. As my exceptional teacher, Ian Bell, and the class stared down at me in horror, I knew it was bad, but I was mostly embarrassed. Such an Edward Goreyesque thing to do—The hapless aging “ballerina.” Jump forward six months, this is the reason I was trying to negotiate with my cane the steps in the 4th Ring at the NY State Theater. And then an usher came to my rescue!