Turning pointe: New Mexico Ballet brings 'The Nutcracker' into 2023

With its timeless magic, lavish costumes and Sugar Plum Fairies, “The Nutcracker” takes fans on a dream-like journey of music and dance.

But times change, and the New Mexico Ballet is tweaking some aspects of the costumes and dance moves to make them more representative of the cultures they depict. Accompanied by the New Mexico Philharmonic, the production opens Thanksgiving weekend, running through Dec. 3 at Popejoy Hall. The show also features current stars of the San Francisco Ballet and New York City Ballet.

The classic holiday ballet is back with a full production after limited pandemic shows; this year marks the first time the New Mexico Ballet has been able to join the New Mexico Philharmonic in the performance. But many dance companies are reworking the show partly in response to a wave of anti-Asian hate that intensified during the pandemic, and a broader reckoning over racial discrimination.

Some renowned groups — including New York City Ballet and the Royal Ballet in London — several years ago made adjustments to the Tea scene, eliminating elements like Fu Manchu-type mustaches for male dancers.

With its face paint and pointy hand gestures, the traditional Chinese dance can be offensive to some Asians, said Anna Bridge, NMB artistic director.

“The big conversation around the ‘Nutcracker’ is the cultural representation of the different variations,” she said.

In the past, some companies have used stereotypical face paint and repeated bowing, making caricatures of the dancers.

Bridge’s performers will wear colorful clothing emblazoned with dragons and twirl paper parasols.

“I’m trying to bring it into 2023,” she said.

In the Arabian coffee dance, dancers traditionally wore revealing and stereotypical harem clothing. Bridge’s dancers will don more modest harem pants.

Turning pointe: New Mexico Ballet brings 'The Nutcracker' into 2023

The troupe features 120 dancers; 22 of these are local professionals. The rest are age 8 to adult. The set includes hand-painted scenery, custom costumes, pyrotechnics, fog and snow.

Set to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, “The Nutcracker” is based on the 1816 German fairy tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

The story follows a young girl named Clara Stahlbaum who, on Christmas Eve, receives a magical nutcracker doll as a gift from her mysterious godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer. The story takes a fantastical turn when the clock strikes midnight, and Clara finds herself in a world where toys come to life, mice battle toy soldiers, and the nutcracker transforms into a handsome prince. The second act transports the audience to the Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy. Clara and the Nutcracker Prince encounter a series of dances by characters such as the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Cavalier and representatives from various countries.

“The Nutcracker” premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892, and since then, it has become one of the most performed and cherished ballets worldwide. Its popularity has extended beyond the stage to numerous adaptations in film, television, and other forms of media.

“To me, the storyline is this mix of fantasy and a dream and it take us to another world,” Bridge said.