Land of the Bittersweet

Land of the Bittersweet: COVID's Effect on Nutcracker

To some dancers, a winter without The Nutcracker may seem like a gift. No Tchaikovsky on an endless loop. No missing real parties to dance in the party scene. No pulling fake snow out of your hair. It's the stuff that burned-out ballerinas might dream about in mid-December.

But, true to E.T.A. Hoffmann's original "Nutcracker and Mouse King," sometimes gifts are broken, and dreams are not as they seem. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies into nightmare scenarios to keep audiences and dancers safe: canceling or rethinking entire seasons, including the hallmark Nutcracker.

Financially, artistically, logistically—and let's face it, emotionally—dance companies are faced with the unthinkable. Can companies survive without The Nutcracker? We'll find out this year.

For the full article please go to: https://www.dancemagazine.com/2020-nutcracker-2648997270.html