What's December without The Nutcracker?

For many of us, December is defined by twinkly lights, iridescent-colored ornaments and the same nine Christmas carols played over and over again on the radio. For Orange County locals and visitors, the list ought to include one more thing: a visit to see a performance of the holiday fairy tale, The Nutcracker, by the Maple Youth Ballet.

When I was a girl, the tail end of every calendar year was marked by my mother pulling out my frilliest dress, whitest tights, and black patent leather Mary Janes and taking me – just me; no little brother! – to the San Francisco Ballet’s annual production of The Nutcracker.

What a thrill: the soaring, chandeliered ceiling of the opera house, the endless rows of buzzing theater-goers, the hush that swept the room like The Wave at a baseball game: front to back, bottom to top. And, finally, the first notes of Tchaikovsky’s music, the same ones year after year, drawing each of us under the The Nutcracker’s magical spell.

But that was then…and then was a long time ago. However: I'm happy to report that The Nutcracker is alive and well in Orange County, California! Not only that; it’s inexpensive, accessible and beautifully executed by local kids and young adults who are putting heart and soul into their version of this timeless classic.

The Nutcracker: Orange County Version, opens its doors for the third year at the Northwood Performing Arts Theatre in Irvine on December 19th. The Maple Youth Ballet, a pre-professional school operated under the passionate direction of Charles Maple, will showcase 80 dancers surrounded by oversized, fantastical, dynamic (yes, moving!) props for five performances.

I got a sneak preview recently at the school’s practice facility and chatted with some of the young performers as well as with owner/director/choreographer Charles Maple. [Check out my video blog below to see interviews, a practice session, film clips from last year’s production, and me!]

Maple, a former soloist with the American Ballet Theatre and a native southern Californian, virtually bubbles over with enthusiasm for his métier. With a spring in his step, a broad smile and balletic body language (read: perfect posture, wide sweeps of the arms, a theatrical tilt to the head), he personifies the passion and drive that he cultivates in his students.

“Our version of The Nutcracker tells of a young girl who is given a pair of toe shoes when she's still too young to use them,” explains Maple. “That night, she dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, and is magically transformed into her future self. This is not just the story told by The Nutcracker ballet,” he adds. “It’s the story of just about every member of our cast.”

Aubry Mason and Tate Lee, both 10 years old (“We’re exactly two weeks apart,” says Tate with a lopsided grin,) would no doubt concur.

They both got hooked on ballet while watching their older sisters attend dance class, and have never looked back. (“I started when I was 2 or 3,” says Aubry very matter-of-factly.) While they've performed in The Nutcracker before, this will be their first crack at leading roles – Aubry dances the part of Little Clara and Tate accompanies her as her brother Fritz. Aubry’s mini-performance – she only danced for about a minute – demonstrated a delicacy and sense of precision that can only come from years of practice. Maple chose his “sample” performers well; Aubry's tidbit left me yearning for more and guaranteed that I’d be back for opening night.

The stories of Emily “just like in Spiderman” Parker, 16, and Isabella Velasquez, 15, build on those of Aubry and Tate like age-progression photographs. Parker, who latched onto ballet even before she was allowed to start classes, has been dancing for 12 years already. Velasquez (pictured below) started “way later,” at the age of eight, but will be performing in her third Nutcracker this season.

They both love the way it allows them to get their energy out (“My mom likes that, too,” says Velasquez) while still having fun. As Spanish dancers, they burst onto the stage with color and beauty and prance through their performance like young fillies released from confinement after a long winter in the stables.
From what I can see, the Orange County Nutcracker may be billed as pre-professional and “youth ballet,” but I have a feeling that once I’m settled into my seat at the Northwood Performing Arts Theatre, and I hear those tell-tale first musical notes, I’ll be able to close my eyes and feel my mom at my side, squeezing my hand for the sheer thrill of it all. Call me crazy, but my feet might even start to hurt inside those Mary Janes. Cuz, after all, it just isn’t December without The Nutcracker.


[Check back here after the 20th of December – I’ll be writing a quick review of the real thing. Or, better yet, go see it on opening night and let me know what you think!]

For more information on the Maple Youth Ballet and for online ticketing, visit www.mapleconservatory.com. Note that the Center Main section for all five performances is already sold out, and they expect to sell out completely, so don’t delay; join me on the 19th!