Epic Battles Over the Holidays
Nov/24/2010 15:42
The Nutcracker. The ballet that has become synonymous with Christmas, which is synonymous with lengthy vacations, swirling snow, lovely decorations, massive dinner parties, and all things good. The delicate chiming music of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies brings expectant and ever-so-slightly greedy looks to the faces of millions of children around the world. The Nutcracker definitely qualifies as one of the top five nostalgia-producing pieces, and I absolutely love it.
For someone who presumably had a life filled with personal turmoil, Pyotr Tchaikovsky certainly produced a work that was beautifully whimsical. Nowadays unrest and confusion produces Eminem; back then they got Tchaikovsky. (I’m thinkin’ that they got the better end of that deal.) Incidentally, I’d like to take a moment to give a shout out to George Balanchine and co. Tchaikovsky may have composed the ballet, and kudos to him for that, but Balanchine popularized it and synonymized it with Christmas. (Is that a word?) And let’s be honest, what is Christmas today without The Nutcracker?
The Nutcracker snow globe by Big Trike strikes a nostalgic, wistful chord for me, and probably for anyone out there who’s ever been to the NYC Ballet productions around Christmas time. It depicts Marie and the Prince, in the middle of a dance, standing out in the winter under the snow-laden evergreens. It’s reflective, somewhat longing, and sweet, and it brings to mind all things Christmas-y.
And who doesn’t love Christmas?
And now, for our exclusive (just kidding) Big Trike Christmas tidbits - NYC Ballet fun facts for you, and an animated computer Nutcracker story. Definitely worth a looksie – check it!
For someone who presumably had a life filled with personal turmoil, Pyotr Tchaikovsky certainly produced a work that was beautifully whimsical. Nowadays unrest and confusion produces Eminem; back then they got Tchaikovsky. (I’m thinkin’ that they got the better end of that deal.) Incidentally, I’d like to take a moment to give a shout out to George Balanchine and co. Tchaikovsky may have composed the ballet, and kudos to him for that, but Balanchine popularized it and synonymized it with Christmas. (Is that a word?) And let’s be honest, what is Christmas today without The Nutcracker?
The Nutcracker snow globe by Big Trike strikes a nostalgic, wistful chord for me, and probably for anyone out there who’s ever been to the NYC Ballet productions around Christmas time. It depicts Marie and the Prince, in the middle of a dance, standing out in the winter under the snow-laden evergreens. It’s reflective, somewhat longing, and sweet, and it brings to mind all things Christmas-y.
And who doesn’t love Christmas?
And now, for our exclusive (just kidding) Big Trike Christmas tidbits - NYC Ballet fun facts for you, and an animated computer Nutcracker story. Definitely worth a looksie – check it!