http://youtu.be/VKlGlODjr_k

I never get tired of watching the Nutcracker. Maybe it’s because there are so many versions and the story is not always the same. Each company brings something new to the production. Plus I always enjoy watching the dancing.

I had hoped to see the Boston Ballet’s version this year, but our plans fell through. I was intrigued because they are performing a brand new production; new scenery, costumes, and choreography.  The Boston Ballet started working on this new production over a year ago. I’d never seen the previous version but I became interested in the new one after  I watched a video clip about the new production.

Instead of watching a live version, I have settled on viewing the Nutcracker on TV. Ovation TV is running the Battle of the Nutcrackers. They are showing six different versions of the Nutcracker performed by different companies. You can vote on the one that you prefer and then on Christmas Eve Ovation TV will re-broadcast the winning Nutcracker.

I’m behind on watching them (it’s difficult to find time to watch six Nutcracker performances this time of year), but I did view the one by the Australian Ballet. I’ve never seen a version of the Nutcracker like this before. The title is even different: The Story of Clara. As you can imagine, it does not follow the traditional Nutcracker storyline.  At first this bothered me. I longed to see party scene with the young children and Drosslemeyer.  However, as the ballet progressed I became fascinated by it. The story is of Clara, an aging ballerina, who reminisces about her life. It was a nice change to have a new creative story and the dancing was superb.

If you don’t have access to Ovation TV, but want to vote, you can go to the Battle of the Nutcrackers on Facebook and watch clips from each of the performances. It’s fun to compare the Sugarplum Fairies!

Tell us about your favorite Nutcracker production.