The Nutcracker Staged In Davao

The show was directed by and choreographed by Nicolas Pacaña and Gregory Aaron of Atlanta Festival Ballet under the overall supervision of Girlie Royeca who hails from General Santos City.

The Nutcracker is a very fitting show for the season and while it takes inherent and nurtured taste to like ballet, even the kids appreciated the ballet show. It is a Christmas story which takes you back on that one Christmas Eve in the mountains of Bavaria sometime in 1893.

Act 1 of the Nutcracker revolves around the Christmas celebration at the home of Baron and Baroness Von Stahlbaum (danced by good friend Jenny Hirakawa). The family here shows familiar Christmas traditions practiced by the Filipinos like family visits and the opening of gifts.

Herr Drosilmeyer, the children’s favorite uncle added some pizzazz to the celebration when he brought along life-sized dolls that came to life and danced for them. Ciara gets “The Nutcracker” as a gift. The Nutcracker gets broken and takes Ciara to dreamland where mice and soldier and all the toys come to life.

The Land of Snow was perhaps the most exciting part of the show since the stage was filled with snow-like flakes falling all over the dancers and the stage for several minutes.

Ballet like these should be encouraged because it promotes ballet closer even to those who can only dream of such wonderful things.