The Nutcracker in Alameda

Producer – Abra Rudisill - Alameda Civic Ballet

Thanksgiving Day at 1:00 PM,

Sundays at 8 pm through Dec. 16

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For more information about the Alameda Civic Ballet

A Landmark Dance Event Caught on Film

In December 2005, the Alameda Civic Ballet, under the guidance of Artistic Director Abra Rudisill, added to a glorious holiday and dance tradition with the premiere of its first full-length version of Nutcracker at the Kofmann Theater in the City of Alameda, California.

In an hour long film, Alameda TV - Channel 31 provides a short history of the The Nutcracker and takes a look at excerpts of the 2005 performance. It also takes a look behind the scenes at the Making of the Alameda Nutcracker with interviews with Ms. Rudisill and many of the young dancers.

Don't Miss the 2007 Performance in Alameda

Alameda Civic Ballet and Artistic Director Abra Rudisill will once again present the Nutcracker at the Kofman Theater:

TIME:

December 22nd and 23rd.
presents

PLACE:
Kofman Theater at 2200 Central Ave, Alameda

PERFORMANCES
Dec 22 @ 7pm
Dec 23 @ 2pm

TICKETS
Adults $ 27
Youth (17 & under) $17
Senior (65 & over) $ 17

Tickets on sale now at the ACLO Box Office

(510) 864-2256

or online ACLO.COM

Box office hours WED, FRI, SAT 11am - 5pm

A Short History of The Nutcracker

In the Beginning

In 1816, E.T.A. Hoffmann, a young German writer, published The Nutcracker and the King of the Mice.

A dark, morbid psychological story that portrayed the world at its worst, no one would have predicted this somewhat horrific tale would become the basis for a family holiday tradition, that at the beginning of the 21st century, is still growing in popularity.

First Russian Steps

In Czarist Russia in 1891, Marius Petipa and Peter Tchaikovsky were commissioned to create a ballet based on a French adaptation of the Hoffmann story. The pairing was not a particularly happy nor inspired one, as the two had differing visions of how to approach the work. Then Pepita became ill and his assistant, Lev Ivanov, choreographer of Swan Lake, took over.On December 18th 1892 the ballet had its premiere to mixed reviews.

The Nutcracker became just another part of the ongoing Russian repertoire, but was not thought of as a seasonal offering; the work was as likely to be seen in May as December.

It was performed only in Russia until after World War I and the Russian Revolution, when Russian dance refugees moved out into the world where segments of The Nutcracker were occasionally pulled out of their bag of ballet tricks.

Moving to North America

However, it wasn’t until 1944 that North America saw a full length Nutcracker production for the first time. That historic event was at the War Memorial Opera House by the San Francisco Ballet, under William Christensen.

Still, it was another ten years before the Nutcracker became a true phenomenon, when George Balanchine, who had performed the Nutcracker as very young dancer in Russia, staged it with his New York City Ballet in 1954.

Balanchine followed in his own famous dance steps with an early television holiday performance, and soon history and the future were set for the Nutcracker to become a seasonal ritual in cities and towns across the United States and Canada.

Alameda

Now, Alameda has joined the ever-growing cast of dance companies to take on The Nutcracker Ballet.

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