"The Nutcracker" THE LONGEST RUNNING IN CHARLOTTE

CELEBRATING Over 35 YEARS!

GAY PORTER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

BRIDGET YOUNG-PORTER, ASST. ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Preserving and promoting the art of ballet, empowering

youth, and connecting youth and professional dancers in

performances that bring joy to Charlotte and

surrounding communities.

TEACHER RESOURCE GUIDE Mission Statement

The Charlotte Youth Ballet enriches the community through a non-profit innova- tive, regional ballet company that provides dancers an opp to perform in

professional productions. By merging youth and professionals, the CYB introduces ballet to diverse audiences to foster a life-long support of the arts.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!

Dear Teachers,

Thank you for choosing us as a field trip for your students. We know that you will be delighted with the dancers, dazzled by the costumes and entranced by the music! The Charlotte Youth Ballet is celebrating over 35 Years of Nutcracker and we are so pleased to have you join in the festivities. As an Affiliate of the Arts and Science Council, we endeavor to provide professional quality performances to the schools as well as the general public.

You will find a variety of activities in this packet that are intended to assist you in the classroom as you prepare your students for the ballet experience. As this resource guide was compiled by a CMS teacher, we believe that you will find pertinent connections to your classroom curriculum.

Most of our young dancers attend CMS and surrounding area schools. Supporting the arts in our community, we hope that you will keep us in mind when planning future field trips.

Please contact our Administrator, Cindy Gruber, at 980-322-5522 or email at cindygruber@charlotteyouthballet.org with any questions.

Nutcracker Terms Godfather - a man, usually a relative or close friend of the family who is a special person in a child's life. In theNpast, he would help parents with a child's education. In times when people did not live as long as they do now, he might be like a grandfather if the child had no surviving

grandparents. A woman who enjoyed this special relationship with a child would be a "godmother."

Grandfather clock - A very tall clock; the clock face sits on top of a tall, narrow case which holds the clock's pendulum, which swings back and forth to help the clock keep time. These clocks would ring on the hour, with the number

of chimes for the hour. For example, at eight o'clock, a grandfather clock would ring eight chimes. Old-fashioned grandfather clocks would need to be wound daily for them to keep the correct time.

Nutcracker - a wooden tool, often in the shape of a man, used to break the shells of nuts. Nuts in their shells would be inserted into the nutcracker's "mouth," then a lever on his "back" could be turned to bring his "jaws" together to break the shells so they could be removed. In the 1800s, especially in Germany, but also in other places, nutcrackers were painted I bright colors and given to children to help them break the shells of the nuts they received in the Christmas stockings. Overture - When the house lights dim, and music begins to play, this is the overture. It signals the start of a performance where music is an important part of the story. It is a sampling of the music that will be heard throughout the story. There will be no action on stage during the overture, which lasts several minutes. Pointe Shoes - A pointe shoe is a type of shoe worn by ballet dancers when performing pointework. They evolved to enable dancers to dance on the tips of their toes (i.e., en pointe) for extended periods of time. They are normally worn by female dancers.

Polichinelle (poe LEE shee nell) is a French word that literally translated means "Punch." Here, "polichinelles" means buffoons, or comic characters. In our version of The Nutcracker, the Polichinelles are the Cooks and the Ginger Children, who disrupt the more dignified dances of the dolls in the Land of Sweets. Mother Ginger has to gather her children up and take them away before they get into trouble. Waltz - a dance which is fast-moving (3/4 time). Dancers appear to glide lightly and effortlessly around the stage. At a formal ball, this would be a dance for couples. Wind-up toy - A mechanical toy. In the days before batteries, such toys had to be "wound up," usually by turning a key to set the mechanism inside the toys. Such toys made a clicking or clattering sound (similar to a clock's ticking) as they moved about; at first, the clicking was fast, but as the toy "wound down," it became slower and slower until it stopped.

Applause - Hand-clapping by audience to thank the performers for their work. Audience - The people who come to watch a performance. Auditorium - The area in which seats for the audience are located. Curtains - The main curtain across the front of the stage hides the stage area until the performance begins, or until scene changes are completed. Curtains along the sides and back of the stage hide backstage areas from the audience. Dressing rooms - The rooms in which performers change their clothes. Those with starring roles have their own dressing rooms;

those with minor roles have to share, with men and women in separate rooms. Follow Spot – A spot light that follows the dancer across the stage for dramatic effect. House Lights - The lights in the auditorium, where the audience sits. When these lights dim, the performance is about to begin. Intermission - A break in the middle of the performance. Most intermissions last 10 to 15 minutes. Make-up - Used by performers to help create their character's appearance. Stage make-up is much heavier than regular make-up. Make-up can help create wrinkles to make a young performer appear older. Scenery - Used to help audience imagine the setting of a story. The Nutcracker uses a kind of hanging scenery called a "drop." This is a large piece of canvas, as wide as the stage, with a scene painted on. In Act I, the drops show a Winter street scene and then the elegant Stahlbaum home; Act II shows a magical scene for the "Land of Sweets" Stage - The area of the theater, usually in front, where the performance takes place. Wings - The areas to each side of the stage, out of sight of the audience. These areas are where performers wait to make their entrance onto the stage and into the action

Theater Terms and

Definitions

The Nutcracker – a summary The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" written by E.T.A.

Hoffman.

The Toy Shop

In preparation for the annual Christmas Eve celebration at the Von Stahlbaum home, Dr. Drosselmeyer works feverishly in his workshop. With love, and perhaps a bit of magic, he is creating the dolls that will surprise his godchildren, Clara and Fritz, and all of the children at the party. But there is one magnificent doll with which he is taking extra care – all in hopes of enchanting one special little girl.

ACT I It’s a cozy Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum’s house. Their house is decorated with Christmas ornaments, wreaths, stockings, mistletoe and in the center of it all, a majestic Christmas tree. As the Stahlbaum’s prepare for their annual Christmas party, their children, Fritz and Clara, wait anxiously for their family and friends to arrive. When the guests finally appear, the party picks up with dancing and celebration. A mysterious guest arrives dressed in dark clothing, nearly frightening Fritz, but not Clara. Clara knows he is Godfather Drosselmeyer, the toymaker. His surprise arrival is warmly accepted and all the children dance and carry on with laughter. The celebration is interrupted again when Drosselmeyer reveals to the children that he has brought them gifts. The girls receive beautiful china dolls and the boys receive bugles. Although his gift to Fritz is quite nice, he gives Clara a beautiful Nutcracker that becomes the hit of the party. Fritz becomes jealous and, having a bit more spunk than a boy should have, grabs the nutcracker from Clara and promptly breaks it. Clara is heartbroken looking on as Drosselmeyer quickly repairs the Nutcracker with a handkerchief he magically draws from the air.

The party grows late and the children become sleepy. Everyone generously thanks the Stahlbaum’s before they leave. As Clara’s family retires to bed, she checks on her Nutcracker one last time and ends up falling asleep under the Christmas tree with the Nutcracker in her arms.

At the stroke of midnight Clara wakes up to a frightening scene. The house, the tree and the toys seem to be getting larger. Is she shrinking? Out of nowhere large mice dressed in army uniforms, lead by the Mouse King, began to circle the room while the toys and Christmas tree come to life. Clara’s Nutcracker groups the soldier toys into battle formation and fights the mouse army. The Mouse King traps the Nutcracker in the corner, but the Nutcracker can’t overcome the Mouse King’s strength. Clara makes a desperate move to save her Nutcracker from defeat and throws her slipper at the Mouse King. She hits him directly in the head! The Nutcracker is able to overcome the stunned Mouse King and claims victory. The mice army quickly carries away their King.

Clara falls onto the Nutcracker’s bed, over-whelmed by the moment. As angels and delightful music hover over their heads, the bed turns into a magical sleigh, floating higher and higher. The Nutcracker is transformed into a human prince. He gets on Clara’s sleigh and drives through a snowy forest where the snowflakes turn into dancing maidens.

Act II After their magical journey through the snow forest, they come to their destination in the Land of Sweets. Upon their arrival, they are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy. As they reenact the night’s events, the Sugar Plum Fairy becomes impressed with Clara’s bravery and the Nutcracker’s heroism. In their honor, the Sugar Plum Fairy takes them inside the Candy Castle and throws a lavish festival. They are treated like royalty and presented with every imaginable sweet. Shortly thereafter, the dancing begins.

Hot cocoa dances to the lively music of trumpets and castanets of the Spanish fandango. The women of coffee dance in veils and move their bodies like rising steam to an Arabian song, while Mandarin tea dances to an exotic Asian flute chorus. Matroishkas (Russian dolls) follow the Mandarin tea leaping and dancing to an invigorating Russian Trepak.

To Clara’s enjoyment there is still more to be seen. A giant gingerbread house, known as Mother Ginger, dances onto the Sugar Plum Fairy’s court. She opens her skirt and eight little gingerbread children come dancing out circling around her. After the Mirliton dance is over, the children quickly file back into the large gingerbread house and Mother Ginger leaves the room. Soon after Mother Ginger exits, the dancing flowers enter to the tune of the harp. Perhaps the most beautiful waltz she has ever heard, Clara and the Nutcracker Prince watch with amazement. The flowers dance in beautiful mesmerizing patterns as a single Dewdrop floats above them.

Silence quickly follows the end of their dance. Clara doesn’t know what to expect next. A handsome Cavalier enters the scene and escorts the Sugar Plum Fairy to the center of the room. They dance to the most recognizable song in the entire work. The captivating pair dance lighter than air. This beautiful dance completes Clara’s most perfect evening. The festival concludes when everyone comes together on the court and bids Clara and the Nutcracker Prince farewell. She tells the Nutcracker she wishes the adventure would never end and he tells her it won’t for those who have an eye to see it.

Clara wakes up the next morning under the Christmas tree with her Nutcracker still in her arms.

Did you know…

Pyotr (Peter) Ilych Tchaikovsky, the composer of the Nutcracker music, was born in Votkinsk, a town in Russia's Ural Mountains. He was not considered a very good pianist or composer by his childhood teacher, and besides, being a musician was not considered an “acceptable” profession, so his parents made him give up his music studies and become lawyer instead! But

even in law school, Tchaikovsky continued to study music. Eventually, he gave up his legal job and went to the St. Petersburg Conservatory (a special type of school where music is studied). After he graduated, he moved to Moscow to teach at the new conservatory there. It's now named for him.

Tchaikovsky is perhaps the best-known composer of ballet music. He wrote Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty. He also wrote the 1812 Overture; six symphonies; several tone poems; piano sonatas and concertos; the fantasy overture Romeo and Juliet; and many operas.

For years, Tchaikovsky had a patroness named Nadezhda von Meck -- a wealthy widow who was a big fan of Tchaikovsky's music. She regularly sent him money so that he could concentrate on composing without having to worry about making a living. But Nadezhda von Meck didn't want to meet Tchaikovsky. For 14 years, they only communicated by writing letters to each other. Tchaikovsky dedicated his Fourth Symphony to his patroness.

Tchaikovsky died in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia

E.T.A. Hoffman

(born in Prussia in 1776, died 1822) wrote many novels and short stories including children’s stories such as The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Can you guess what this story was turned into? He also wrote The Sandman which is the story from which the Charlotte Youth Ballet’s spring ballet

performance, Coppélia, was derived! Many children’s versions of both books are available today.

Ballet: It is said that in 1490, Leonardo da Vinci (the famous artist!) designed a balli spectacular to entertain the Duke of Milan in Italy. This was considered to be an early form of ballet. The artistic interpretation of the dance was to mirror the harmony of the celestial bodies (the stars), to establish order out of chaos, and to bring peace upon those in attendance. In those days, however, the dancers did not wear tights and tutus, but instead very heavy jackets and bloomers for the men, long elaborate gowns for the ladies. When Catherine deMedici, an Italian royal, married the king of France in 1553, she brought her love for the art of ballet with her to Paris and thus began the spread of ballet as a highly desired form of entertainment. As dancer’s technique developed over the centuries they became more athletic, their costume were made smaller and less cumbersome so they could jump, twirl and leap more easily.

Activities

1) Help students become familiar with vocabulary terms by pointing out terms as you read the

story to them.

2) Read a version of The Nutcracker story.

3) Discuss some of the following with your students to help them to prepare their "story map" listing the main characters, setting, and events of the story:

Where does the story take place?

When does it take place?

Who is the main character of the story?

What is she like/how would you describe her?

Who are some of the other characters? (Students' focus should be directed to Godfather Drosselmeyer, Nutcracker Prince, Sugar Plum Fairy)

What is each like/how would you describe him/her? What do they do in the story?

What is Marie's (Clara’s) special present?

What strange things happen at midnight?

What happens to Marie's (Clara’s) Nutcracker?

How does Marie (Clara) save the Nutcracker?

Where does the Prince take Marie (Clara)?

How do the inhabitants of the Land of Sweets celebrate their

Prince's return?

How does the story end?

4) Provide a prompt for illustrating or writing a reaction to the story. Some sample prompts include: "My favorite part of the Nutcracker story is . . . "

"The scariest part of the Nutcracker story is . . ."

"The saddest part of the Nutcracker story is . . ."

"The happiest part of the Nutcracker story is . . ."

PAPER SNOWFLAKES

Supplies:

8 ½” x 11” paper, any color Scissors

How to make paper snowflakes:

Step 1 – Fold the paper

Using a standard 8 1/2 " x 11" paper, fold the paper so one corner touches the other side of the paper

and is even with the straight edge. Cut away the part of the paper that is not covered by the folded-over

edge. (If you open up the folded paper you will have a square piece of paper.) Fold the paper in half

again.

Fold the paper in half once more. There will be one side of your folded triangle that won’t have any folded edges. The other two sides have folds.

Step 2 – Cut the paper

If you would like a round snowflake, cut the unfolded edge so that it has a rounded shape. Cut notches in the folded sides, but do not go all the way through to the other folded side or you will cut your snowflake in half. You can be as creative as you want and cut notches of all shapes and sizes!

Step 3 – Unfold your paper

Once you have finished cutting the notches in your paper, unfold you paper. You will have a beautiful, one-of-a-kind snowflake!

Nutcracker Word Scramble

Unscramble the list of words below. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

1. SATHMARIC

The name of the holiday celebrated in this ballet.

2. RABER

A handrail that dancers hold onto during class.

3. ESSETW

Clara and the Prince travel to the Land of __________.

4. RAMSORDEYSEL

The mysterious man who gives Clara the Nutcracker.

5. ZITRF

Clara’s mischievous brother.

6. RASGU MULP YFRIA

She lives in a fantasy land filled with candy.

7. TRUKARECCN

A famous ballet performed during the holiday season.

8. SMEOU NKIG

The Nutcracker has a fight with this furry animal.

9. LWFSSOEKNA

They dance around Clara and the Nutcracker prince as they begin their adventures.

10. KAHVSTOYCIK

Russian composer who wrote the music for The Nutcracker.

11. LEABLT

The style of dance performed in The Nutcracker.

12. ZATWL

The style of dance performed by the Flowers in The Nutcracker.

13. CALAR

She is the main character in the ballet.

14. HISELG

The method of transportation used by Clara and the Nutcracker Prince

15. ARVEORETU

Name for the music played before the start of the performance

16. SIMTINRESNOI

A short break between Act I and Act II

ANSWERS: 1. CHRISTMAS 2. BARRE 3. SWEETS 4. DROSSELMAYER 5. FRITZ 6. SUGAR PLUM FAIRY 7. NUTCRACKER 8. MOUSE 9. SNOWFLAKES 10. TCHAIKOVSKY 11. BALLET 12. WALTZ 13. CLARA

Nutcracker Word Search

Print this word search and see if you can find all of the words. Words are horizontal,

vertical, diagonal and backwards!

R P E G I E A F B N R Z V G L

L E N S C B L S X O E T X H M

S I Y N U O M R V B K L J N W

K U I E W O O Q S N C A N D Y

E R G E M O M A H O A W B O C

P L R A J L M D P B R G M L A

C S T Z R T E V I H C Q U L V

S L J T S P Z S G J T N E S A

U N A I A A L B S J U J C F L

K X R R D B T U T O N G A N I

V H F D A E C W M U R I O B E

C S N O W F L A K E R D B M R

A I E I E B O O K Y Z T I R F

X V W S Q B A T Z U V I M X E

T E L L A B U W P M X R D J Z

BALLET BATTLE BONBON CANDY CAVALIER CHRISTMAS CLARA DOLLS DROSSELMEYER FAIRY FLOWERS FRITZ KING MOUSE NUTCRACKER PRINCE SNOWFLAKE SUGARPLUM WALTZ

How many new words can you find hidden within these Nutcracker words?

Some students may never have attended a ballet performance before.

Some points to emphasize: 1) The signal for the start of the ballet will be the dimming of the lights It will seem very dark, but

reassure children that this is what is supposed to happen. The curtain will not go up yet, but music will start to play; this is called the Overture. The Overture is a sampling of the music that will be heard all during the performance.

2) Once the Overture ends, dancers will emerge from the wings (offstage areas on either side of the stage). These dancers, and every dancer who follows, will help tell the story by pantomime. There are no spoken “lines” in ballet - dance, gesture, and facial expression are used to tell the story. Also, the changing sound of the music will also help set the mood for a scene and help tell the story. There will be no words spoken during the entire performance.

3) There will be a brief “pause” or intermission between Acts I and II of about 10 minutes. Be sure that students understand that the ballet will resume after Act I. students often mistake the musical crescendo at the end of Act I for the finale.

What to expect at the ballet Ballet Costumes: Please take some time to discuss costuming conventions in ballet; children are often surprised at the sight of men in tights. Costuming conventions in ballet are very old - they date from the way in which people "dressed up" in the Renaissance. Ballet originated at the royal courts of Italy and France during the 1500s and 1600s. At that time, women wore long, heavy skirts. As time went on, the skirts of women dancers became shorter and lighter to allow them more freedom of movement. In the Renaissance, however, men were already wearing short pants called "doublets;" some styles of doublets reached below the knees, others ended at mid-thigh. They wore hose to cover the lower part of the leg not covered by their doublets. As time went on and the ballet dancing of men became more athletic, with leaps and turns, men needed less restrictive clothing too. Hence, they began to wear stretchy, form-fitting leotards and tights that allowed the maximum range of movement. Leotards and tights are often used in male dancers' costumes

today because other kinds of costumes are too restrictive and don't allow freedom of movement. But at one time in history, men wore similar garments that exposed their legs.

Etiquette:

倈 Once the lights go down and the music starts, do not continue talking. A darkened theater and the playing of music is your signal to watch for the start of the performance. It is traditional to play an overture before the start of The Nutcracker; it will play for a few minutes before you see dancers. Just listen and see if you recognize any of the "melodies." 倈 Audience reaction is important to performers, so laugh at the funny parts. Once a dancer completes an especially pretty or amazing dance, it's fine to clap for them. Applause is encouraging to performers - it lets them know you are enjoying what they are doing on stage. 倈 Do not shout any comments whatsoever to performers on stage.

倈 During the performance, please remember that you are in a theater with many other people who also want to see the stage and hear the music. Do not talk during the performance. The other people seated around you want to hear the music without the sound of your voice, even whispering (which is louder than you think), in the background.

After the Ballet… Discussion/Writing/Drawing prompts: What happened in Dr. Drosselmeyer’s toy shop before the party?

What gifts did the children receive at the party?

What types of animals did you see in the Nutcracker

The Ginger Children emerge from a very unusual place. Where?

How did the ballet make you feel?

Did the costumes tell you who the characters were? How?

What did each character's dance tell you about them?

How did the sound of the music help you understand what was happening on stage?

What was your favorite part/character of the ballet?

Was there any part of the ballet that you did not like? Why?

More Cool Things To Do: 1. When you return to school, make a graph of favorite

characters. There are several formats you could use such as a

pictograph.

2. Use metaphors to describe the land that the Prince and Clara

visit during her dream.

3. Was this a dream or did Clara really experience these adventures? Write a persuasive paragraph

stating your opinion.

4. Compare a book version of the Nutcracker with the ballet version you just saw. Make a graph or

Venn diagram showing what things are the same and different.

Book Ballet