It’s a holiday tradition unlike any other here in the city of Winnipeg, one that has sparked the joy of the season in audiences for decades.
For the artists performing in the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker this week, that joy is the key driver behind the magic that they capture on stage.
It’s a sentiment that the artists need more than the audience perhaps realizes, as the run of shows at the Centennial Concert Hall comes after a 16-show tour in British Columbia, all coming over the holiday season. While this type of show run is something that ballet dancers are prepared to do, it does come with sacrifices on their part.
“It is kind of part of the job when you accept your place in the ballet world that you know you're always going to be busy every Christmas without fail,” acknowledges Kyro Soo, who is making her role debut as Clara in this year’s production.
“I wouldn’t say it has a crazy negative impact, but you can tell that by the time we get past Christmas, the run is starting to mentally fatigue people,” adds Stephan Azulay, who will delight audiences once again in the role of Drosselmeier.
In spite of this, Soo and Azulay are both fueled by the joy that the production brings to audiences of all ages. “The biggest thing that keeps me going is knowing that even though I might not be getting into the Christmas spirit and all of that, at least we’re bringing it to so many people who come to the shows,” says Soo, who also notes that the interactions she has with the little girls who want to be ballerinas always makes the sacrifice worthwhile.
“As long as I’m making people happy and they enjoy the show, that’s all I can ask for,” says Stephan Azulay, who dances the role of Drosselmeier in the production.
This sentiment of bring joy to others is made all the more significant by the fact that Soo and Azulay have danced hundreds of productions of The Nutcracker between them. Where dancing the same numbers over and over may be cause for boredom or resentment, the two both find new inspiration in the work each and every year to keep them engaged.
For Soo, engagement is easier to find this year as she steps into the role of Clara after years of sharing smaller roles like the Sugar Plum Fairy and Aunt Josephine. “All the hard work over the years builds up the anticipation and getting to do that lead role for the first time [makes it] worth it,” she says excitedly.
In addition to sharing in the joy of the season with the audience, the dancers in The Nutcracker share supports with one another during the production’s lengthy run. “Part of it is figuring out how to efficiently keep the energy up over the entire span of the run,” explains Azulay. “You have to pick your points where you save energy and if something's hurting, you have to take care of it... and make sure that the audience is getting the best version of what you can do that night.”
Soo echoes this idea of pacing and has leaned on other dancers in the company who have performed Clara for advice and guidance. One dancer in particular shared an important piece of advice with her: stay on the same page as your partner, no matter what happens.
“As soon as you’re feeling something or they’re feeling something off, it can go downhill very quickly and especially when people get tired and things like that,” Soo shares. “I’m very fortunate and grateful to have a wonderful partner that I work really well with, and he and I are always checking in with each other. If I’m particularly tired one day, I'd be like, ‘I really can't give it as much in this section, just so you know.’ He'll be like, ‘OK, I'll be there for you.”
You can see the support that The Nutcracker’s cast has for each other and show them your own support by attending their performances at the Centennial Concert Hall, which run until December 28. Tickets and more information can be found at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s website.
