By Amelia Naughten, News Editor

The toll of a midnight bell, and the stage is brought to life – mice, humans, and fairies alike. Many have heard the story of the Nutcracker or watched it, but not many know what it takes to perform in this ballet. At Mills, several students spend their Decembers rigorously training to put on this show for audiences, and this season, the Thunderbolt is cracking open what goes on behind the scenes.

The Nutcracker is the classic two-act Ballet composed by Tchaikovsky. The story follows main characters Clara and the Nutcracker through a series of fantastical worlds, ending in a dramatic battle between the Rat King (or Queen) and his army of mice. The Nutcracker originally premiered in Russia in 1891, and has since spread across the globe, becoming a common holiday pastime for many.

Jacelyn Lam (10) is a veteran at the Nutcracker, with this year being her 10th year dancing in the San Francisco Ballet’s production. She has been dancing ballet for 12 years, and considers performing the Nutcracker as an annual tradition for her.

This year, she was cast as a butterfly that opens Act 2, which she began rehearsing for as early as October. From weekly two hour sessions to more frequent practices with company dancers on top of daily classes, Lam always cherishes “being able to tell the story just by moving along to the music, and making memories with friends.” She dedicates a majority of her free time to improving technique and practicing, and hopes that her efforts will help bring out the joy of the Nutcracker.

Another sophomore at Mills, Danica Dvorak is undertaking a role in the Nutcracker for the first time this year. “I grew up attending the Nutcracker almost every year at Christmastime with my mom at the San Francisco Ballet,” Dvorak remembers. As a dancer from the age of four herself, attending the Nutcracker was an extremely special event for her, and she recounts admiring “just how much athleticism and mental willpower that performing requires.”

“I’ve always wanted to join a real on-stage production of the Nutcracker with costumes and sets, but I never really had the opportunity to do that at my previous dance studio,” Dvorak added, noting how she recently switched studios to the Bay Area Ballet Conservatory (BABC) to focus on ballet. 

A week after auditions, Dvorak discovered that she had been cast as Flower Soloist, Russian Soloist, Snowflake’s corps de ballet, and most prominently, the Rat Queen. 

  “I had to take one private session to get used to wielding the really heavy fake sword that I use and to learn the choreography for my short solo variation,” Dvorak shared. She also enjoyed working alongside the young kids who played her mice, citing that she would often use the time spent corralling the kids to practice individually. She also explained that although not many people realize it, extensive hours rehearsing en pointe take a toll on dancer’s foot health – something that she makes sure to counteract with protective gear and care. The BABC performance took place on the third weekend of December, in which Dvorak’s efforts came to fruition.

Last but not least, Joleen Huang (11), has been dancing in the Nutcracker since she was five and explored various styles such as contemporary, lyrical and modern before settling on ballet. From small background roles to now soloist and featured characters, Huang recounts, “It’s been my favorite thing watching myself and my friends progress through roles we never thought we’d get.”

Although her studio guarantees participating dancers a role, there was still much competition over securing main characters. This year, Huang was cast in the Snowflakes and Waltz of the Flowers corps de ballet, Spanish Chocolate, and Russian Candy Cane.  

“When I was cast as a Russian Candy Cane, I was extremely surprised; it’s one of the hardest variations in the Nutcracker with many patterning tricks,” Huang explained. Rehearsals to prepare for this role varied anywhere from one to six hours at a time in addition to weekly classes. 

Along the way, Huang came across some roadblocks such as not being able to meet with her partner for the Candy Cane role until the week of the performance. However, she took advantage of every moment they had at the theater to practice their tricks. The weekend of the performance was draining but ran smoothly for Huang: “At the end we got it down, and I’m really proud of that,” she commented. 

These dancers input many hours over the winter months to put on this performance for spectators, and bring the spirit of the holiday season alive. Watching the Nutcracker is a wonderful way to support our local arts and dancers, but regardless of whether you watch the Nutcracker or not this season, it’s eye-opening to realize the intense work and dedication that these dancers put into their art. Huang shared, “I want people to understand how hard ballerinas work to satisfy the audience,” and through this article, she hopes you can now appreciate the Nutcracker through a new lens.