By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor
“The Nutcracker,” one of the nation’s most iconic Christmas traditions, will be making its way to Baylor on Dec. 14 for an annual on-campus performance, featuring the Waco Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Frontier and young local Waco performers.
Since 2008, the orchestra and Ballet Frontier, a company based in Fort Worth, have collaborated to present this musical and visual spectacle to Wacoans, making it one of the only Nutcracker performances in Texas to use live orchestral accompaniment. Sue Jacobson, the Waco Symphony Orchestra’s Concertmaster, said playing live allows for both challenges and flexibility, as the conductor can watch the dancers onstage while conducting, adjusting the tempo to their speed and movements.
“Our audiences get to see it the way it was intended to be performed, and that is with a live orchestra,” Jacobson said.
This version of the music is for a reduced orchestra, meaning that only around 30 members will make up the total ensemble, Jacobson said.
Ballet Frontier’s Artistic Advisor, Enrica Tseng, said performing with a live orchestra is an opportunity she and the dancers look forward to every year.
“I think for us, when we come to Waco, the best part is the music, because it’s just very rare, very hard to perform live music,” she said.
The addition of Waco children to the Waco production is another factor that sets this show apart from other stops on the company’s tour of Texas. Auditions for the children were held on Sept. 6 at Joy’s School of Dance, Tseng said.
“When we rehearse with the kids in Waco, it’s always so much fun,” she said.
This year, over 80 Waco children auditioned to perform in the first act as party guests, and 65 will be included in the performance.
“It’s always good to see the professional dancers on stage, and then to see that youthful energy that comes out from the children … and see how much they enjoy it,” Tseng said.
According to Tseng, no fanfare will be spared in this year’s performance. The company has been rehearsing since the second week of October and is going all out with costumes, choreography and sets to create a “beautiful and mesmerizing” experience. This time, like many others, will feature annual audience favorites such as the Waltz of the Snowflakes, the Waltz of the Flowers and the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Jacobson attested to the visual grandeur.
“They have some of the best mouse soldier costumes I’ve seen,” she said.
Tseng said Ballet Frontier’s version of the Nutcracker, specifically the second act, is more dynamic and high-speed than many other versions performed by major companies, thanks to the influence of the late ballet dancer and instructor Roy Tobias. Other than choreography, Tseng said the dancers themselves make the production unique with what they bring to the table artistically, expertly and culturally.
“Ballet Frontier has an amazing group of male dancers who come from all over the world — from Japan, from South Africa, from Taiwan,” Tseng said, adding that their ballerinas have roots across the U.S. as well.
For Tseng, the beauty of “The Nutcracker” lies in its ability to keep the excitement for ballet alive through the generations.
Jacobson said the opportunity for local artists — such as the musicians in the orchestra — to perform at Waco Hall also has inherent value.
“It’s always a gift for the community to have high-quality arts,” Jacobson said. “In Waco, with it being the size it is, we are extremely fortunate to have the collaboration with Baylor University, because I’m not sure we could do this if we didn’t.”
This year’s “The Nutcracker” performance will begin at 2 p.m. on Dec. 14 in Waco Hall. Tickets for “The Nutcracker” are currently on sale and can be purchased via this portal. Visit the pop-up Nutcracker Market in the lobby to purchase nutcrackers and other holiday ornaments.
