Tales of a Wooden Prince

Okay, can we just take a moment and appreciate the magnificence of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker?

This is not only a beautifully choreographed ballet but an incredibly imaginative story. What little girl hasn’t wished that her soldier toy would come to life? Oh, just me? Well alright then.

I have been in love with The Nutcracker since I have been introduced to the story, thanks to Barbie in The Nutcracker. This childhood animation, in my opinion, is a classic but I will get to that in a bit.

This beloved ballet was adapted from a story called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and a lighter adaptation was penned by Alexandre Dumas. If you recognize that name you are probably a fan of classic novels like Count of Monte Cristo or Three Musketeers. From this Tchaikovsky pulled and created a score that literally brings the words to life.

I recently found out that this was not Tchaikovsky’s best-received ballet. It was the third of three ballets that the composer penned during his career, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty were the other two. Anyway, from what I could find when the ballet was originally opened it was mixed with an opera. Critics and audiences seemed to like the opera part but were not impressed with the ballet. According to Britannica, the first performance was supposed to be choreographed by Russia’s acclaimed dancer Marius Petipa.

But Britannica reports, “Petipa had fallen ill, and the choreography was instead devised by his less-inspired assistant. Additionally, the scenery and costumes were panned as tasteless, and the performance of the ballerina who danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy was widely criticized.”

The critics were brutal towards Tchaikovsky and sadly he never got to see this beautiful creation get the recognition and love it deserves.

My love for The Nutcracker began at an early age, mostly because I was obsessed with the idea of my toys and stuffed animals coming to life. But the second thing that draws me close to this intricate story is the fact that it is being told through dance.

As a writer, it is hard to admit that sometimes words are not always needed. Something I rarely talk about is that I danced for about 10 years, so a story that people understand without needing words is the most amazing experience.

Let me get into why I chose this for this week’s post…

-          The Nutcracker and Clara

I am mostly going to be talking about Barbie in The Nutcracker because I definitely think it made the biggest impact on my love of this story.

This is a story of trying to make up for a mistake. The Nutcracker (secretly Prince Eric) took some brutal shots about his leadership before the Mouse King had turned him into the wooden soldier. Clara is the only one that is seeing his expressions or the way he would stiffen whenever he was faced with the consequences of his choices. Clara’s love and trust in him and his leadership really empower Nutcracker to try to win back his crown and the love of his people.

Clara is looking to just get home and back to her normal size. But as she comes across the damage that has been inflicted by the Mouse King she became more worried about this kingdom than her own problems. She sees the value of the lesson Nutcracker needed to learn to become the king his people needed and she wants to support him in that pursuit.

There is so much imagination in this world that Tchaikovsky’s score conjures. What hopeless romantic wouldn’t want to have a love that is literally made for them?

I strongly encourage you to sit and just listen to this score. Let it just wash over you in a quiet moment. I want to you close your eyes and just see what happens. And maybe let me know how it goes.

Until Next Time,
Peace Out Lovers!