Pennsylvania Ballet Presents George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and you can see it within Philadelphia’s favorite holiday tradition – the Pennsylvania Ballet and
Artistic Director Angel Corella present George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. 

Performances, supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch run through December til the 31st at The Academy of Music and are a delightful tradition for the entire family.

Immerse yourself in the beloved tale of The Nutcracker as Marie and her Prince share a magical gift that transports them to a suspenseful battle between soldiers and mice, a glistening forest full of snow, and into the Land of Sweets. 

Lavish sets and opulent costumes pair with the unforgettable Tchaikovsky score performed live by the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra and the celebrated Philadelphia Boys Choir. 

Dancers from The School of Pennsylvania Ballet will join Company members on stage as they bring to life this endearing story of a girl, a gift, and a wondrous dream. 

Artistic Director Angel Corella is enthusiastic about the return of the timeless classic and is eager to showcase the talent of the Company. 

“Our dancers are so excited to once again bring George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® to the beautiful Academy of Music,” says Corella.
“To be part of the holidays in Philadelphia is magical, each year we look forward to bringing families together to enjoy the arts and make dreams come true.”

Pennsylvania Ballet Introduces the First Sensory Friendly Performance at the Academy of Music

Pennsylvania Ballet is proud to announce it will become the first resident company of The Kimmel Center to provide a specially adjusted sensory-friendly performance on the main stage of The Academy of Music. In partnership with Art Reach, Pennsylvania Ballet will offer a theater experience focused on providing a relaxed atmosphere that is welcoming and inclusive of children and families with a wide range of sensory, learning, and communication differences including autism spectrum. 

The program gives families space to move around, permission to speak during the performance, and areas to decompress with assistance from trained staff. Prior to the performance, families will be provided Program and Facility Guide Books which outline the story of The Nutcracker with visual images and the layout of the Academy.

“We want to make the dream of dance come true for everyone,” said Executive Director David Gray. “That means finding ways to provide accessibility to all in our community. We are happy to offer this sensory friendly performance so that more families can enjoy this beloved tradition.”

The sensory friendly performance will be held on December 22, 2016 at 11AM at The Academy of Music.

The performances at The Academy of Music run:
- Friday, December 16 at 11:00 AM
- Friday, December 16 at 7:00 PM
- Saturday, December 17 at 12:00 PM
- Saturday, December 17 at 5:00 PM
- Sunday, December 18 at 12:00 PM
- Sunday, December 18 at 5:00 PM
- Thursday, December 22 at 7:00 PM
- Friday, December 23 at 2:00 PM
- Friday, December 23 at 7:00 PM
- Saturday, December 24 at 12:00 PM
- Monday, December 26 at 12:00 PM
- Monday, December 26 at 5:00 PM
- Tuesday, December 27 at 2:00 PM
- Wednesday, December 28 at 12:00 PM
- Wednesday, December 28 at 5:00 PM
- Thursday, December 29 at 2:00 PM
- Friday, December 30 at 12:00 PM
- Friday, December 30 at 5:00 PM
- Saturday, December 31 at 12:00 PM

Tickets are available online at paballet.org or by phone at 215.893.1999, and in person at the Kimmel Center Box Office.

Tea with the Sugarplum Fairy at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
Saturday, December 17 at 2:30 PM
Join the star of Philadelphia’s most anticipated holiday tradition for a magical afternoon of tea and tutus at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. Enjoy a delectable buffet and photo opportunity with the Sugarplum Fairy and experience a captivating matinee performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® | Prices start at $90 and include your performance ticket and buffet. To order, contact Group Sales Manager Arajua Backman at abackman@paballet.org.

Salvation Army Toy Drive 
Pennsylvania Ballet is proud to partner with the Salvation Army for the Annual Toy Drive!
At performances of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, audience members are invited to bring a new unwrapped toy for a child in need. Once collected at the theater, these toys will be distributed to families across the region throughout the holiday season.

About Pennsylvania Ballet
Founded in 1963 by Balanchine protégée Barbara Weisberger, Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the nation’s leading ballet companies. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the Company’s annual local season features six programs of classic favorites and new works, including the Philadelphia holiday tradition, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. For more information, visit paballet.org, call 215.551.7000 or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to go behind-the-scenes at any time.

Pennsylvania Ballet’s season sponsors include DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, The Sporting Club at the Bellevue, and American Airlines.

Pennsylvania Ballet receives support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts – a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency – and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund.

All photographs by Alexander Iziliaev

PA Ballet Principal Lauren Fadeley Veyette Dishes on Healthy Eats, Training, and Christmas in Philly

Lauren starts a typical day with warm-ups and onto around 6 hours of rehearsal as well as for upcoming ballet performances. She does sit-up and push-ups every day before class, along with stretching to help find her center and warm up. When she has the time, she likes the elliptical and free weights at the gym, or takes yoga to lengthen her muscles.

Lauren Fadeley Veyette, Photography by Alexander Iziliaev

The past few weeks Lauren has been focusing on her three parts in the Nutcracker. “There is something so magical about being the Sugarplum Fairy! I think it's every little girls dream to be a fairy princess, so it's a lot fun to play dress up in a tutu and tiara and be that idol for a few hours a night,” Lauren says. 

“Even though the role is technically very hard, having all the kids dancing with me onstage and those watching me in the audience uplifts me and makes it that much more enjoyable. I actually teach a lot of the students in the production, and I remember when I was their age and looked up to the Sugar Plum and it's just amazing to be her now,” she expresses. 

Lauren Fadeley as The Sugarplum Fairy at The Racquet Club of Philadelphia, Photo by Dave Moser

“It reminds me of why I do this. It's very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stresses and physical pain that's involved in ballet, but once you get out there in front of an audience and are able to share your passion- the feeling is indescribable.”

Lauren absolutely loves music and finds her favorite pieces to dance are those with her biggest connection to the music. “One my favorites is Christopher Wheeldon's pas de deux from After the Rain to Arvo Part’s piano solo Spiegel im Spiegel.”

How do you prepare for a performance and stay hydrated, I ask. “I sweat a lot and get dehydrated very easily, so I'm always chugging water and replacing electrolytes with beverages like coconut and vitamin water, or adding emergen-c packets to my water before a show. I never like to feel too full before I perform, so I'll usually have a snack of chicken salad and a banana 2 hours before and then will eat a full meal after when I'm done,” she explains. 

“One of the best things about doing the Nutcracker during the holidays is that we can eat all our favorite treats and never have to worry! I have a major sweet tooth and love all the homemade Christmas cookies that circulate around the theater. I also love Mexican food and could probably eat chips and guacamole every day!”

Principal Dancers Lauren Fadeley and Francis Veyette, Photo by Alexander Iziliaev

Lauren also dances with her husband, Francis Veyette, a California native who is a principal dancer of the PA Ballet company. 

Lauren and Francis met many years ago, and have had such a beauty courtship. “It is very fun especially when we get to dance together! We are pretty much together 24/7 and at the same time when we are in different rehearsals for an hour - it seems like an eternity so I miss him!"

"We are dancing the Sugar Plum and Cavalier together and it's just the best feeling because it's a part I've done for many years so I'm very comfortable with it and then dancing with someone I love and completely trust makes it such a wonderful experience,” Lauren happily explains. “It’s also so nice to be with someone that completely gets you and understand what you're going through with your career mentally and physically. I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I love with the man that I love.”

Sansha eBay

In addition to the stage, Lauren has branched out into the silver screen with the movie Black Swan (2010). 

“It was a very cool experience! It was a hard process though as they have to film things over and over again and from different angles, so we were constantly trying to stay warm and fresh with each take. The crew quickly realized to tell us if they were filming our whole bodies or not so that we could mark or not go up on pointe to save our bodies. Sometimes we'd be dancing act 4 Swan Lake at 4am so it was very taxing on the body,” Lauren clarifies. 

“I did appreciate how authentic they wanted to be with the ballet scenes and would often ask us for input to make sure things were as accurate they would be in real life.”

See Lauren, Francis and the entire company perform George Balanchine’s^TM  The Nutcracker at The Academy of Music through Thursday, December 31.

Characters from The Nutcracker at The Racquet Club of Philadelphia, Photo by Dave Moser

All photos property of the PA Ballet and used by permission. From the PA Ballet. 

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PA Ballet Presents Delightful Performances of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

This has got to be one of the most magical and busy Christmases I have ever experienced! And the very first thing I do after putting up my Christmas tree is attend a performance of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™ at the Academy of Music by the ever-talented Pennsylvania Ballet company. Every year this magical performance wows me with its fanciful sets and whimsy, delightful dancing and holiday treats.

 

This year I took my fiancé Stephen, who has never seen any ballet before, much less The Nutcracker, for the Sunday afternoon December 14 performance. I was so excited to show him the wonder and merriment of this time-honored Christmas tradition. 

The amazingly talented orchestra, conducted by Beatrice Jona Affron, drew us into the world of Marie and Fritz on Christmas Eve while they and their parents, Frau and Dr. Stahlbaum, welcome family and friends for a delightful party. Herr Drosselmeier, all the children’s favorite family member arrives with presents for them all, and he gifts Marie with a unique nutcracker. Tensions build when Fritz steals the dolls from Marie and smashes it’s head. Fritz was a delight to watch, even though he is very naughty!

 

Drosselmeier tends to the doll, and soon the guests must go. After all are gone, Marie sneaks to the ballroom and falls asleep with her doll to comfort it. Her mother finds her out of bed, and searches for her, finding her asleep, covers her up and hurries back to bed. And then Marie dreams the most wonderful dream- of brave toy soldiers fighting mischievous mice with a scary Mouse King, where she fearlessly assists The Nutcracker as he heroically defeats the Mouse King! Marie and her Nutcracker watch as it snows and the charming snowflakes dance their intricate steps, and wonder off to the Land of Sweets.

 

Act Two draws us in to the whimsical world of candy as The Sugarplum Fairy and her angels dance and the brave Nutcracker tells his heroic story. More sweets come to visit, including popping candy canes, hot chocolate, and tea, and my favorite- coffee- dance their delights. Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles make the audience giggle as they jump around, and the Dewdrop whirls among her flowers. The Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier are most impressive as they tell their romantic and beautiful story among the sweets, and dance a final pas de deux. Soon Marie and her Nutcracker must go, for it is time to awaken, and sail away with glorious memories and sweets and happiness in a Christmas dream.

 

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™ always evokes a warm and fierce holiday spirit and I was so happy to show that to Stephen, which he loved! The Nutcracker is a children’s ballet, but it appeals to all ages and never fails to fill me with delight and wonder.

 

The Pennsylvania Ballet was founded in 1963 by Balanchine student and protégée Barbara Weisberger. The Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the nation’s leading ballet companies. The Company’s annual local season features six programs of classic favorites and new works, and always the Philadelphia holiday tradition, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™. For more information, visit paballet.org or call215.551.7000.

 

We continued our adventure to the Nutcracker Market in the Kimmel Center, where we found many glorious local vendors and bought up a good many things – spiced Chai Honey from Taste, seahorse pottery, ornaments, and more. After watching the entertainment – dancers and carolers, we greeted Santa Claus and Mrs Claus then headed out into the afternoon- on our next adventure!

 

Don’t miss this time-honored family tradition. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ performances run until Wednesday, December 31.

 

Special thanks to the Academy of Music.

PA Ballet George Balanchine's The Nutcracker company artist photos courtesy of PA Ballet and by Alexander Iziliaev.