For a couple of decade now, seeing “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” at New York Metropolis Ballet has been the enchanting kickoff of the Christmas season for my teenage daughter and me. She took ballet when she was little. I took dance courses too in youthful years. However that’s not the draw. It’s the enjoyment, the storybook marvel of the vacation basic that’s made it a Christmastime mainstay for us. Backstage, we have now met Mom Ginger and peeked beneath her big hooped skirt. We have now been photographed with principal dancers. Three days from now, we are going to as soon as once more savor our luxurious view from orchestra seats in a jewel field of a theater at Lincoln Heart, seats so near the stage that we’ll tilt our heads again to observe the magical Christmas tree develop to an unlimited top. Even final 12 months, amid a resurgence of the coronavirus, our vacation spirit wasn’t dampened once we noticed dancers 12 years and older substitute the pint-size angels, mice and revelers due to security protocols and their eligibility for Covid vaccines. The tiny dancers are back this year. They do certainly add sparkle and sweetness. However the sweetest second for us got here in 2019 when “The Nutcracker” broke a barrier with the primary Black dancer to play Marie, the courageous younger heroine. It was a milestone for the manufacturing, which dates to 1954. And Marie appeared like us!
