• Contributors
    • Catherine L. Tully, Owner/Editor
    • Dance Writers
      • Rachel Hellwig, Assistant Editor — Dance
      • Jessika Anspach McEliece, Contributor — Dance
      • Janice Barringer, Contributor – Dance
      • José Pablo Castro Cuevas, Contributor — Dance
      • Katie C. Sopoci Drake, Contributor – Dance
      • Ashley Ellis, Contributor — Dance
      • Samantha Hope Galler, Contributor – Dance
      • Cara Marie Gary, Contributor – Dance
      • Luis Eduardo Gonzalez, Contributor — Dance
      • Karen Musey, Contributor – Dance
      • Janet Rothwell (Neidhardt), Contributor — Dance
      • Matt de la Peña, Contributor – Dance
      • Lucy Vurusic Riner, Contributor – Dance
      • Alessa Rogers, Contributor — Dance
      • Emma Love Suddarth, Contributor — Dance
      • Andrea Thompson, Contributor – Dance
      • Sally Turkel, Contributor — Dance
      • Lauren Warnecke, Contributor – Dance
      • Sharon Wehner, Contributor – Dance
      • Ashley Werhun, Contributor — Dance
      • Dr. Frank Sinkoe, Contributor – Podiatry
      • Jessica Wilson, Assistant Editor – Dance
    • Dance Wellness Panel
      • Jan Dunn, MS, Editor
      • Gigi Berardi, PhD
      • James Garrick, MD
      • Robin Kish, MS, MFA
      • Moira McCormack, MS
      • Janice G. Plastino, PhD
      • Emma Redding, PhD
      • Erin Sanchez, MS
      • Selina Shah, MD, FACP
      • Nancy Wozny
      • Matthew Wyon, PhD
    • Music & Dance Writers
      • Scott Speck, Contributor – Music
    • Interns
      • Intern Wanted For 4dancers
    • Contact
  • About
    • About 4dancers
    • Advertise With 4dancers
    • Product Reviews on 4dancers
    • Disclosure
  • Contact

4dancers.org

A website for dancers, dance teachers and others interested in dance

Follow Us on Social!

Visit Us On YoutubeVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On PinterestVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On Instagram
  • 4dancers
    • Adult Ballet
    • Career
    • Auditions
    • Competition
    • Summer Intensives
    • Pointe Shoes & Footwear
      • Breaking In Shoes
      • Freed
      • Pointe Shoe Products
      • Vegan Ballet Slippers
      • Other Footwear
  • 4teachers
    • Teaching Tips
    • Dance History
    • Dance In The US
    • Studios
  • Choreography
  • Dance Wellness
    • Conditioning And Training
    • Foot Care
    • Injuries
    • Nutrition
      • Recipes/Snacks
  • Dance Resources
    • Dance Conferences
    • Dance Products
      • Books & Magazines
      • DVDs
      • Dance Clothing & Shoes
      • Dance Gifts
      • Flamenco & Spanish Dance
      • Product Reviews
    • Social Media
  • Editorial
    • Interviews
      • 10 Questions With…
      • Dance Blog Spotlight
      • Post Curtain Chat
      • Student Spotlight
    • Dance in the UK
    • Finding Balance
    • Musings
    • One Dancer’s Journey
    • Pas de Trois
    • SYTYCD
    • The Business Of Dance
    • Finis
  • Music & Dance
    • CD/Music Reviews

The Magic Remains – Joffrey’s Nutcracker Transformation

December 13, 2016 by 4dancers

Joffrey's Nutcracker, Snow
The Joffrey Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

by Catherine L. Tully*

A different type of excitement buzzed throughout the Auditorium Theatre lobby Saturday night. In years prior the hum has always been the lively anticipation of a ballet that was a familiar favorite–a tradition for many people in the Chicago area. But Saturday the crowd whirred with a sort of nervous tingle, awaiting the reveal of Christopher Wheeldon’s new Nutcracker, choreographed just for Joffrey. Would it be as engaging? Could the production live up to its predecessor? And for many–will this ballet continue to be worthy of inclusion in holiday tradition?

As I write this, I’m doing so without my traditional reviewer’s hat, because The Nutcracker is supposed to be about capturing the essence of the magic that goes on this time of year. Magic can’t be dissected easily–nor should it. So instead I attended opening night as a Chicago dance lover, waiting with everyone else to see if this ballet would fill me with the spirit of the holidays as the lights began to dim and the crowd settled in all around me.

I won’t take you through the story piece-by-piece, but I would like to highlight a few things that are standouts in terms of adding a new dimension to this old favorite, starting with the sheer scale of the production. This version of the ballet brings the setting home to Chicago, around the time of the Columbian World’s Exposition. The set design and costumes by Julian Crouch are nothing short of spectacular, from the rapidly growing Christmas tree to the glittering skirts in the snow scene. Everything really looks fresh and new. Coupled with Benjamin Pearcy’s projection design and live music provided by the Chicago Philharmonic, all the elements are in place as a perfect foil, allowing the dancers to bring the story to life.

Chinese Dancer in Joffrey's Nutcracker
Joffrey Ballet company member Fernando Duarte as Chinese Dancer in Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

Much like a successful movie director, Wheeldon is careful to preserve some of the story elements that are beloved to the audience, including the snow scene and the Arabian dancers. Other portions have been tweaked a bit, with Buffalo Bill and his ladies replacing the Russian dancers, and the addition of two large paper dragons alongside a lone Chinese dancer. Children are incorporated seamlessly into the ballet as snowflakes, soldiers, walnuts, and more, adding a bit of delight and humor to the mix. I love the fact that musicians are brought onto the stage and included as part of the cast, and Basil Twist’s puppetry is such a highlight that I found myself wishing his rodents had played a larger part in the story.

Wheeldon’s choreography vacillates between traditional classical movements and more innovative patterns throughout the ballet, challenging both dancers and the audience to reach a little bit beyond the standard, basic Nutcracker fare. At times I found myself missing things such as the “usual” pas de deux, but to be fair, it can take time to embrace change fully. On the other side of things, I welcomed modifications such as the shift away from waltzing flowers to the “fair visitors”, which expands the role of men a bit more in this ballet.

Undoubtedly, new favorites will emerge as this production takes the place of the old. It is difficult to re-vamp a cherished holiday tradition, but doing so allows for the possibility of renewed spirit that often comes with a fresh perspective. For Joffrey’s Nutcracker the magic remains–it has just been transformed into a delightfully new holiday experience.

*Disclosure – Joffrey dancer Cara Marie Gary and Music Director Scott Speck are contributors to 4dancers.org

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: Basil Twist, Benjamin Pearcy, chicago dance, Chicago Nutcracker, christopher Wheeldon, joffrey, New Nutcracker, the auditorium theatre, the joffrey ballet, the nutcracker

Dancers: Cross-Training With Yoga

October 11, 2016 by 4dancers

Cara Marie Gary performs with the Joffrey in Romeo & Juliet. Photo by Cheryl Mann.
Cara Marie Gary performs with the Joffrey in Romeo & Juliet. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

by Cara Marie Gary

As a dancer with The Joffrey Ballet I spend countless hours in the studio rehearsing and preparing for upcoming productions. Often times I will be required to rehearse multiple ballets at the same time. Our company returned from summer break in late July and in the past three months we’ve already worked on seven different ballets! We’ve performed at the Chicago Dancing Festival and Dance for Life performances with Alexander Ekman’s Episode 31, Lar Lubovitch’s Othello pas de deux, Christopher Wheeldon’s After The Rain pas de deux, and Gerald Arpino’s Round of Angels. We’ve learned Myles Thatcher’s Body of Your Dreams, which is a ballet that we won’t perform until the spring. We began “cracking nuts” early in August as Christopher Wheeldon started choreographing his world premiere of The Nutcracker. However, in the past two weeks we’ve taken a pause from rehearsing multiple ballets to focus on our fall production of Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: 4dancers, conditioning Tagged With: 105F Chicago’s Original Hot Yoga, Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, cara marie gary, Chicago Athletic Clubs, core strength, cross training for dancers, crosstraining for dancers, joffrey ballet, Krzysztof Pastor, romeo & Juliet, the joffrey ballet, yoga for dancers

Preview: The Joffrey Ballet: Bold Moves

February 9, 2016 by 4dancers

Joffrey Ballet in RAkU
                         The Joffrey Ballet in RAkU. Photo by Cheryl Mann

by Catherine L. Tully

The Joffrey Ballet opens its Bold Moves program Wednesday, February 10th at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre with one world premiere and two audience favorites. The evening will feature live music from The Chicago Philharmonic, with Joffrey Music Director Scott Speck at the helm.

Joffrey Ballet in Forgotten Land
Christine Rocas and Rory Hohenstein in Forgotten Land. Photo by Herbert Migdoll

Jirí Kylián’s Forgotten Land is the opening piece, set for 12 dancers, with music by English composer Benjamin Britten. Last performed by the company in 2012, this well-received ballet was inspired by an Edvard Munch painting of women staring at the sea from the beach. The choreography does indeed evoke water, its many lifts and swirling motions resembling the ebb and flow of waves.

Preview of world premiere:

Another work for 12 dancers, Ashley Page’s world premiere, Tipping Point, is the next item on the program. This piece is centered around the music, Thomas Adès’ violin concerto Concentric Paths. An award-winning choreographer, Page has a strong background in ballet, but this abstract piece focuses on highlighting human behaviors that are illuminated by the shifting tensions of the score. Take a closer look at how Page came to work with Joffrey in this post on Art Intercepts.

Joffrey dances RAkU
Fabrice Calmels and Victoria Jaiani in RAkU. Photo by Cheryl Mann

RAkU is the final piece in the Bold Moves program, and it is a truly unique offering. First created for San Francisco Ballet in 2011, Yuri Possokhov’s contemporary story ballet is based on the burning of Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion. The choreographer commissioned a score by composer Shinji Eshima, and the music illuminates the love story beautifully. A stunning visual piece as well, RAkU fits nicely with the program’s theme, as it leaves quite an impression.


Bold Moves runs from February 10th through the 21st at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre.


Take a quick peek at the three program pieces here:

Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: Ashley Page, auditorium theatre, Bold Moves, Chicago Ballet, chicago dance, forgotten land, Jiří Kylián, joffrey ballet, RAkU, the joffrey ballet, Tipping Point, yuri possokhov

Robert Joffrey’s Nutcracker – The Final Run

December 5, 2015 by 4dancers

Joffrey's Nutcracker
The Joffrey Ballet presents The Nutcracker. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

by Catherine L. Tully

The Joffrey Ballet opened its holiday classic, The Nutcracker on December 4th at the Auditorium Theatre. Many people have come to see this ballet as a “holiday tradition,” but next year Chicago will ring in a different version of this popular ballet…

A look back…

The current version of The Nutcracker was choreographed by Robert Joffrey in 1987. Performing the same version of this ballet for many years leaves a bittersweet feeling for many dancers as they look to the next season, and reflect on the past years…

This year’s opening night featured a combination of newer company dancers and those who have been around for a while in the cast. The underpinning similarity was that they were all radiant–from the party scene, through the finale. It can be challenging to bring a fresh approach to this ballet after so many years, but the energy was alive in well in the Auditorium on opening night. Of course, it certainly helps to have the live music provided by the Chicago Philharmonic, under the direction of Scott Speck.*

Joffrey’s production is indeed a beautiful one, complete with a stunning snow scene, lovely costumes, and many rich details. It has a very old-fashioned feel to it, which may make it a bit difficult to let go of in order to make room for the new production next year.

Looking forward…

That said, Joffrey has commissioned none other than Tony Award™ winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon to re-envision the new Nutcracker for 2016, which definitely adds an air of anticipation and excitement to the mix. It also gives people in the Chicago area a unique opportunity to attend the last run of Joffrey’s old favorite one last time before they unveil the new version.

It should be a wonderful year to see this ballet, as the dancers will be putting their all into the roles that will be danced on the stage for the last time. A historic season!


Joffrey’s Nutcracker runs from now until December 27th. Both evening and matinee performances are available.


*Scott Speck is a contributing writer to 4dancers.org

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Audtorium Theatre, Chicago Nutcracker, chicago philharmonic, christopher Wheeldon, joffrey, Joffrey's Nutcracker, scott speck, the joffrey ballet, the nutcracker

French Twist Tutorial

April 19, 2015 by Rachel Hellwig

by Cara Marie Gary

The dismissal bell rang to signal an end to a long school day. Students crammed materials into a large book bag and bustled about the halls. It was an inevitable race to leave the building in order to avoid the long traffic line in the parking lot. My ballet studio was an hour away and I didn’t have a second to spare. I took off in my swift sprint and was one of the first students to drive out of the lot. I took off my lanyard and placed it on the rearview mirror while I grabbed a hair elastic off the stick shift. One might think a cup holder held a refreshing beverage, but mine held dozens of tiny hairpins. At the first stop light, my foot pressed against the brake as I quickly maneuvered my hair into a ponytail. A flash of green light meant it was time to keep driving. Twist and pin as fast as you can was my method for my completing my bun. This definitely wasn’t the safest driving method, but it was efficient at cutting out a few minutes so I could do my splits before ballet class started.

Experimenting with different hairstyles has always been an interest of mine. I love being able to change a look completely by simply adjusting where a few strands of hair lay. It’s amazing how hot rollers, straighteners, curling irons, gels, and hairspray can transform one’s hairstyle.

A common image associated with ballerinas is a high, slicked-back bun. However, there are so many options for dancer’s hairstyles (a French braid into a low bun, center part messy bun, cinnamon roll bun, side twist into a bun, etc.). One of my favorite dancer hairstyles is a French twist.

I believe this is a unique and elegant hairstyle. I’ve developed a 10-step process to perfecting a French twist:

1) Start by brushing your hair and parting the front to the side of your preference. (I like a left part.)

Photo Credit: Mahallia Ward

2) Using both hands, collect all of the hair into the center of your head. The hair should be gathered in line with the top of your ears. Avoid going too far towards the nape of your neck or top of your head.

Photo Credit: Mahallia Ward

3) The next hairbrush I use is called my “smoothie” brush. It’s produced by Conair and has nylon tuft bristles. This brush is the best at smoothing down bumps and wisps. Keep holding the hair in your left hand while brushing your hair towards the center gathering with your right hand. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: Ballet Hairstyle, Ballet Hairstyle Tutorial, cara marie gary, dance hairstyle, french twist, French Twist Ballet, French Twist Tutorial, hairstyles for ballet, hairstyles for ballet class, hairstyles for dance, hairstyles for dance class, joffrey ballet, the joffrey ballet

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next Page »

Dance Artwork

Get Your Dance Career Info Here!

Dance ebook cover

Podcast

Disclosure – Affiliate & Ad Info

This site sometimes features advertising, affiliate marketing, or affiliate links, such as Amazon Associate links and others. When you click on these links, we get a small sum that helps to support the website operations. Thank you! There’s more detailed information on ads and our disclosure policy under the About tab in our navigation at the top of the site. We clearly mark any and all posts that contain these features.

Copyright Notice

Please note that all of the content on 4dancers.org is copyrighted. Do not copy, utilize, or distribute without express permission. We take cases of infringement seriously. All rights reserved ©2022.

Copyright © 2025 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in