Christmas in a Nutshell: Ballet San Antonio Presents The Nutcracker, a Holiday Tradition

November 28, 2021 - Downtown

By Jade Esteban Estrada, Staff Writer | San Antonio Sentinel

When Ballet San Antonio performs the holiday classic The Nutcracker at Tobin Center for the Performing Arts Dec. 3-12, the 36-year-old dance company will be continuing a Christmas tradition that began more than a century ago. 

Indeed, local ballet devotees would agree that the Christmas holidays wouldn’t be complete without a ticket to this rendition of The Nutcracker, which was originally commissioned by Ballet San Antonio to add to its growing repertoire. 

Like most great works - Anton Chekhov’s original production of The Seagull, for example, or the Wright brothers’ first attempt at flight - this beloved masterpiece by composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky had its own humble beginnings. 

First performed in December 1892, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker was the last of the composer’s three ballets. The first two were Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, respectively. 

The story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, a tale about a girl who befriends a nutcracker who comes to life on Christmas Eve, then later, wages a war against the evil Mouse King. Hoffmann’s story is darker than the family-friendly adaptation that would ultimately reach the ballet stage. 

Tchaikovsky was reportedly uninspired by the first production. The press, in agreement, panned everything from the costumes to the dancer who played the Sugar Plum Fairy. 

Unfortunately, Tchaikovsky didn’t live to see his work become one of the most frequently performed ballets of all time, one that has also served as an introduction to classical music for young people.

The reason the Victorian-era ballet is almost always presented during the Christmas holiday season is because the first act is set at a Christmas party. 

Ballet San Antonio’s two-act production, co-choreographed by Easton and Haley Smith, will include a cast of 100 children. 

Since its inception, Ballet San Antonio has aimed to be a nationally recognized ballet company that reflects and promotes San Antonio's changing community. Presenting The Nutcracker during the holidays seems to be furthering that goal by celebrating the rich tradition of ballet history for a new generation of dance enthusiasts. 

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"Just as my kids would sneak downstairs every Christmas Eve, we found ourselves making The Nutcracker ballet a tradition," said local actress Melissa Martinez, 41. "Their love for Tchaikovsky and magical fantasies would transport them straight onto the Tobin stage. And since the story is not just made up of sugary fairies, it's thrilling to watch time and time again."

The company is also expanding their audiences in progressive ways. 

In 2016, Ballet San Antonio presented its first sensory-friendly performance of The Nutcracker, a shortened version of the show for those with special needs, mobility impairments, or emotional differences. 

A sensory-friendly performance will be offered again this year at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7. This show will feature the second act: Clara and the Prince within the Land of Sweets, and a celebration of classic dance in the timeless story.

Performances for the general public will run Dec. 3-12 with the following schedule: Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. All performances are at the Tobin’s H-E-B Performance Hall. Tickets range from $24.50-$129. Tickets available here.

Jade Esteban Estrada is a staff writer for the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. jade@sasentinel.com | Twitter: @satx_writer