From 2017: Isabel Magowan captures the enchantment of “The Nutcracker,” and the darker reality of ballet behind the scenes.
Isabel Magowan’s photographs of “The Nutcracker” at New York City Ballet capture both the ballet’s enchantment and the reality of the world behind the scenes.
“Everything is beautiful at the ballet,” people like to say, and it’s true, it is an art woven out of fantasy and improbable skill and a rarefied aesthetic that continues to inspire wonder. The most advanced C.G.I. has got nothing on the body of a dancer flying through the air on the crest of a musical wave. But such wonders are not built out of thin air.
“The Nutcracker” is like a microcosm of this world. In many ways, it’s the “gateway drug” to a lifelong love of ballet. It’s often the first work people see, as children. And for dancers, it’s often their first taste of the stage. George Balanchine’s version, for New York City Ballet, is built as a kind of stepladder to the profession: the smallest ballet students play kids in the party scene in the first act and angels in the second.
Isabel Magowan’s photographs of “The Nutcracker” at New York City Ballet capture both the ballet’s enchantment and the reality of the world behind the scenes: the waiting, the preparation, the order, and the work. Magowan once hoped to become a ballerina herself; she studied at the School of American Ballet, which produces the vast majority of City Ballet’s dancers.
The dancer who plays Marie is young, around ten or eleven years old, but must navigate an entire scene in almost complete darkness while evoking fear and wonder and keeping time with the music.And yet she remembers her experience in “The Nutcracker” as an almost magical time. Backstage, the kids would be ushered into a special room where they played games. “You had to sign in,” like a professional dancer. They got checks with their names on them.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Dallas Symphony’s concert performance of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker’ was aptly enchantingReview: Dallas Symphony’s concert performance of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker’ was aptly enchanting | Scott Cantrell
Read more »
Houston Ballet's Nutcracker a Can't-Miss Holiday ProductionBigger, better and more magical than ever: Houston Ballet's The Nutcracker at Wortham Center. HoustonBallet WorthamCenter
Read more »
🔒Experience a local holiday tradition: The First Coast NutcrackerA News4JAX Insider can win a 4-pack of VIP tickets and a swag bag filled with goodies to enjoy during the show.
Read more »
Three Virginia teens create a ‘period pantry’ for free pads, tamponsAriyanna Ghala, Ramsey Warner and Isabel Buescher, all 14, have been stocking the Vienna, Va., pantry with donations and hope the community support continues.
Read more »
Look Ahead: Local events and things to do this week, Nov. 27-Dec. 3The week marks the return of two beloved Christmas traditions in Utah: Festival of Trees, which will be in person for the first time since 2019; and Ballet West's production of 'The Nutcracker.'
Read more »
Dear Life: Alice Munro Remembers Her Childhood Home“We say of some things that they can’t be forgiven, or that we will never forgive ourselves,” Alice Munro writes. “But we do—we do it all the time.” NewYorkerArchive
Read more »