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NYCB Vol. 5 No. 18 - Nutcracker
[18/50] Maria Tallchief recalls watching Act 1 from the wings as she prepared to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy in Act 2: "Even from that...

Lauryn Johnson
Dec 9, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 17 - Nutcracker
[17/50] Suzanne Farrell on the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy: “She has all the authority. She is an elegant lady, beautiful and kind; and...

Lauryn Johnson
Dec 8, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 16 - Nutcracker
[16/50] "Victor Castelli was most impressive leading the Candy Canes, his brilliant jumps through the hoop in the coda being particularly...

Lauryn Johnson
Dec 7, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 15 - Nutcracker
[15/50] Of a 17-year-old Gelsey Kirkland, Clive Barnes wrote: “It is a special pleasure to see Miss Kirkland right now in the springtime...

Lauryn Johnson
Dec 6, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 14 - Nutcracker
[14/50] Beloved SAB teacher, Andrei (Krammy) Kramarevksy began performing the role of Drosselmeyer in 1978 (aged 49) and continued for 36...

Lauryn Johnson
Dec 4, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 13 - Nutcracker
[13/50] “Miss Verdy, all sweet French delicacy, is a charmer of a Sugar Plum” — Clive Barnes, New York Times, 1968 Violette Verdy and...

Lauryn Johnson
Dec 4, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 11 - Nutcracker
[11/50] Jacques was in Hollywood shooting Seven Brides for Seven Brothers when Balanchine choreographed the Nutcracker in 1954. He...

Lauryn Johnson
Dec 3, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 12 - Nutcracker
[12/50] In 1985, Jean-Pierre Frohlich recalled his early years in The Nutcracker to author Ellen Switzer: "When I danced the Nutcracker...

Lauryn Johnson
Dec 3, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 10 - Nutcracker
[10/50] Fun little fact... J.C. Penney's granddaughter went to SAB and was in the Nutcracker! Also, did you know J.C. Penney stands for...

Lauryn Johnson
Dec 2, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 9 - Nutcracker
[9/50] A review from the first season of Balanchine's The Nutcracker: “[Miss Adams] is not essentially a bravura dancer, and the Sugar...

Lauryn Johnson
Dec 1, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 7 - Nutcracker
[7/50] Allegra Kent on the first season of Balanchine's Nutcracker: "I was only a mouse and a shepherdess. I longed to be Dewdrop and do...

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 30, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 8 - Nutcracker
[8/50] Did someone say Paw de Deux? I have absolutely ZERO facts for you about this photo. I don't know why it exists. Does anyone else...

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 30, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 6 - Nutcracker
Suki Schorer remembers her experience with the should-sits in the Grand Pas de Deux: With Sugar Plum, Mr. B said, “Don’t get sweet.” I...

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 29, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 4 - Nutcracker
[4/50] “I loved Nutcracker, especially doing Dewdrop. I felt that was really dancing, even more than when I did the Sugar Plum Fairy.”...

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 27, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 5 - Nutcracker
[5/50] “I was cast to dance the role of the Candy Cane when the ballet premiered in New York. Jumping through that damn hoop at breakneck...

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 27, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 2 - Nutcracker
[2/50] In 1964, NYCB scaled up the production to fit the New York State Theater. “When we first lit it at the State Theater we had a call...

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 26, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 3 - Nutcracker
[3/50] Marian Horosko on being Frau Stahlbaum in the early years of the Nutcracker: “In the first or second Nutcracker season at City...

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 26, 2022


NYCB Vol. 5 No. 1 - Nutcracker
[1/50] Here we go! It's officially Nutcracker season! Tune in every day (sometimes twice a day) to see the photos I have unearthed over...

Lauryn Johnson
Nov 25, 2022


NYCB Vol. 4 No. 27 - Symphony in C
With one final Bizet, that's a wrap on NYCB's Fall 2022 season! Thank you all for learning and/or reminiscing with me. Thank you for...

Lauryn Johnson
Oct 15, 2022


NYCB Vol. 4 No. 25 - Vienna Waltzes
In her autobiography Holding on to the Air, Suzanne Farrell remembered learning Vienna Waltzes in 1977: “I began my dance on center stage...

Lauryn Johnson
Oct 14, 2022
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