“The Nutcracker” is back for the holiday season in performances by Studio West Dance Theatre and by Ballet Northwest at The Washington Center

by Molly Gilmore

The winter holiday season brings illuminated streets, eggnog lattes, Christmas songs of all sorts and, of course, “The Nutcracker.” The tale of a young girl’s journey to realms of mice and snow, fairies and sweets, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, debuted in 1892 in Russia, and while it wasn’t a big hit at the time, it’s since become a mainstay of ballet companies everywhere — and Olympia is no exception.

Visions of Sugarplum Fairies will be dancing across the stage of The Washington Center for the Performing Arts beginning Friday, Nov. 25, when Studio West Dance Theatre’s “Nutcracker” opens. Ballet Northwest’s “Nutcracker” begins Friday, Dec. 9.

Both companies make small changes to the classic tale each year, tweaking the choreography, changing costumes and finding new ways to engage audiences, but the biggest change in 2022 is that Covid-19 is no longer changing the look and feel of the shows.

“Last year, we had full masking for 95 percent of the cast members,” Wood-Ennett said. “We had something like seven leads who did not wear masks. … This year, we are 100 percent back to normal.

“There’s a new appreciation for the privilege of performance,” she told OLY ARTS. “It definitely feels like a privilege just to be together. My dancers are more hungry than ever, and it’s wonderful to see their smiles on the stage.”

“It’s just great to be back to normal,” said Ballet Northwest co-director Ken Johnson. “The cast is back to the 2019 level, and so are ticket sales. The dancers are so excited to have a full audience. They appreciate the opportunity to dance in front of big crowds again.”

Studio West, which began performing on Thanksgiving weekend in 2021, has increased its number of performances from four to six. This year’s cast has 160 dancers, down from a pre-pandemic high of over 200.

Both companies have been reconsidering the Lands of the Sweets dances, a change that’s part of a broader trend. Studio West has been working on choreography for the dances, which portray such treats as Chinese tea and Spanish chocolate. “We’re doing our best to respect all cultures and be as authentic as possible,” Wood-Ennett said. “We’re continuing to grow in that department, like a lot of other ballet companies.”

Ballet Northwest has chosen a different approach by focusing on the sweets themselves rather than on their countries of origin, particularly in costuming. For the tea dance, for example, dancers will wear green dresses with chiffon skirts and bodices made from a brocade with flowers and leaves. “It’s a green tea theme,” Johnson said. “It’s a little more artistic.”

This is the first year since 2019 that the company has made significant changes to costuming, he said, and it’s also the first time since 2019 that Sanford Placide of Dance Theater of Harlem has come to town to play the role of the Nutcracker and the Cavalier. “He danced in our 2018 and 2019 productions,” Johnson said. “We’re really lucky to have him.”

Jolie Alonso and Nina Ivanenko are sharing the role of the Sugarplum Fairy. Playing Clara are Grace Collins, a freshman at Capital High School, and Ava Lund, a junior at Washington Connections Academy.

The Studio West production features Cole McMason and Hannah Smith, both longtime Studio West dancers who are now dancing professionally with Ballet Tucson. McMason and Smith, who are a couple, will play the Cavalier and Sugar Plum Fairy in the first four performances. The final two shows will feature Morgan Dreher, a senior at Olympia High School, as Sugar Plum and James Johnson, also a senior at Olympia, as Cavalier.

James Johnson will also share the role of Nutcracker with Aidan Hodo, a sophomore at Capital High School. Dancing the role of Clara are Abigail Erickson and Natalie Bowers, both sophomores at Olympia High School.

Studio West’s production also features the work of an offstage guest artist, lighting designer and stage manager Scott Weathers, who’s been working with the company since its first “Nutcracker” in 2010. Leathers of Nashville is the resident lighting designer for both Nashville Ballet and Nashville Children’s Theater.