The Nutcracker: A Review

Tonight Carlee and I were SUPER excited to join my friend Ms. J for a traveling production of-

The Nutcracker.

Carlee is taking her very first ballet class this year and I just knew she would love this performance.  

I did lots of research with Carlee by reading and watching the ballet online.  Kids today don't even realize what the old walnut crackers look like, so I had to show her.  This time also included correcting information that her 14 year old brother told her about 'the nutcracker' (save me from the teen years please).

 

When we arrived, the playhouse prohibited any pictures and did not hand out programs, so I have no pictures to share but I do have my review.

Let me just go ahead and get my negative parts out of the way:

If this production was anymore low budget it would have been held in my kitchen with pledge and socks.  Hear me out. It wasn't the dancing (that was good).  The thing about The Nutcracker is that it's  a full sensory experience- music, colors, sights, and feelings.  You just have to go big or go home.  

I think I sort of gave up when the 'Land of Sweets' consisted of an unpainted cardboard roll out.  The most disappointing of all was that there was no Snowflake Dance (this is my favorite part and the part I talked up to Carlee). 

Over dinner, I asked Carlee what her favorite part  was and she stated "when Ms. J. gave me mints".   🤣

Don't worry friends, I still have many, many positives.  

This dance troupe did include our local dance children who did an amazing job.  It was so fun to see them.  I have to feel good about supporting any group that encourages the love of dance wherever they go (and I'm sure they do it on limited funding).

I love that it was obvious the dancers simply love dancing.  

We got to see Ms. J.

We could watch paint dry with Ms. J. and it would be fun.

She is phenomenal.

#1- she shared a lot about The Nutcracker that I never knew and she supports The Arts! 

#2- she dresses to kill everywhere she goes

bling!  bling! 

#3- she is great with children (even the shyest of sorts)

#4- she helped us create another great Christmas memory.

Over our dinner, I made Carlee tell me what her second favorite part of the play was and she said "the music".  I included her two favorites songs from The Nutcracker with clips from her ballet/ tap dance class.  (I'm not sure ballet is going to stick for her but she certainly looks the part.)  💗

I hope your week is filled with Dancing Sugarplums because mine started out that way!