Students dance through “The Nutcracker” ballets of Christmas past and present

Freshman Charlotte Qian has performed in Ramon Moreno School of Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” every year since 2016. Amid holiday festivities and spending time with friends, Qian also attends numerous practices and rehearsals to prepare for the show. At her ballet studio, “The Nutcracker” has always been a critical part of their curriculum. “This is probably my fifth...

There are many different holiday traditions, but for sophomore Kaitlyn Chen, no event or show encapsulates the spirit of the holidays like “The Nutcracker.” This year, Chen is participating in a production put on by her studio, Dance Connection Palo Alto. While “The Nutcracker” story and ballet might be new to some people, Chen’s studio has formed a holiday culture around the play. “Our...

There’s a traditional staple to almost every holiday, whether it is a type of food, an event or even a mascot. For Christmas, there is no performance that quite compares to the “The Nutcracker” ballet. Originally, “The Nutcracker” was based on a German fairytale called “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” The story follows the main character, Clara, as she attends a Christmas party...

While "The Nutcracker" represents the wonder and joy of the Christmas holiday season, senior Sage Leland, who has participated in many of her studio's performances, finds it to be a symbol of commitment. After seeing San Francisco Ballet's version of the production at an early age, Leland has held a deep interest in "The Nutcracker." Then, when she was seven, Leland joined the Academy of American...