At Toronto's Walter Carsen Centre, Ella Morriss and Dmytro Berezhnyi rehearse for their roles as Marie and Misha, respectively, in the National Ballet of Canada's production of The Nutcracker.Photography by Duane Cole/The Globe and Mail
Part of the magic of The Nutcracker is that it’s told through the eyes of a child, revealing all the wonder, mystery and excitement (plus a little bit of the darkness that underpins all fairy tales) of the Christmas season.
And each year, the National Ballet puts on a 1995 production by James Kudelka that opens at a 19th-century Christmas Eve party. The production features 194 young performers (103 of them from the Professional Ballet Program at Canada’s National Ballet School and 91 from the Young Dancers Program), ranging in age from 7 to 20, who share the stage with adult performers. As angels, candy canes and mice, they learn how cross a stage and perform to a live audience.
Laurel Toto, head of the junior school and rehearsal director for the show’s ballet school performers – which is a holiday tradition for many Canadians – says that one of the key things the youngsters have to get over is nerves, particularly the week when the students are integrated with the company. “These dancers are their idols, and everyone is so scared at first,” says Toto. “But then they get through the first show, and then they’re beating down my door asking if anyone’s sick and when they can do another.”
Jenna Savella
What excites you most about your character?
I love playing the Snow Queen. It has one of the most magical moments in ballet. The opening, you’re behind the curtain and you become revealed to the audience. You feel like you’re in control of the atmosphere and it’s a really magical moment. It’s what the season is about.
What is it like returning to the part of the Snow Queen?
I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve played her, but probably for 18 years. I love it. It’s a very magical moment, it’s so musical, challenging, and it makes you feel like a queen. It’s nice to feel like that and feel like you’re bringing magic to the audience. Nothing is taken for granted and nothing is ever boring. You always feel like you can improve on your performance or find new nuance.
Genevieve Penn Nabity
What excites you most about your character?
The Sugar Plum Fairy is very ethereal, very regal. I really enjoy playing that part of this thing everybody loves. She’s almost perfect in a sense, and it’s something I strive for each show.
I love the awe she carries with the children, that’s very special to me. They may not know who I am, but they know the Sugar Plum Fairy and that brings a lot of joy to their lives.
What do you like about performing in The Nutcracker?
I love working with the kids. Dmytro and Ella are up-and-comers, all the students want to have fun and love it so much. You can feel how full the audience is and how they love the tradition. I love coming out of the egg in my scene, it’s very unique to this production. My family has seen a lot of Nutcrackers and this is their favourite.
Larkin Miller
What excites you most about your character?
The tradition – it’s passed down from all of these minds and bodies and hands and interpreted different ways. My character, Peter, he tends to the animals and he’s the kids’ caretakers – he teaches the kids a lot of lessons. My favourite part is dancing with the kids and taking them along the journey, checking in with them. I try to have a nurturing relationship with them, just like my character, and I feel really connected to them.
What’s your favourite scene in The Nutcracker? Why?
My favourite scene would be the snow scene. Funny enough, it’s the one scene the Nutcracker doesn’t dance in. It’s this pure moment where time stands still; it opens up and it’s classical ballet. The colours change, there’s this atmosphere. It’s very reminiscent of a ballerina in a snow globe.
Dmytro Berezhnyi and Ella Morriss
What do you like most about your character?
Dmytro: Misha is very dynamic.
Ella: I like Marie’s bond with her brother, they can fight a lot but at the end they still love each other.
What do you like about performing in The Nutcracker?
Dmytro: I like the design and scale of the stage, everything is really big and looks really good.
Ella: I like that we get to show off how hard we’ve been working, and I like being able to tell a story through my performance.
What’s your favourite scene? Why?
Dmytro: I’d say the Boys’ Dance, it’s so funny – I love it.
Ella: My favourite scene that we’re in is the battle scene. I like all of the things going on onstage. My favourite to watch is the snow scene. I really like how the dancers come together.
