The Nutcracker

When I was young, just after I arrived in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to attend a live performance of The Nutcracker Ballet.  Staged by the American Ballet Theater,  it starred the amazing Russian dancer, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland, one of the prima American ballerinas of her time.  

Kirkland and Barishnikov

My affection for the dance blossomed fully with that experience.  The committment, courage, and determined preparation that every professional dancer brings to a performance has to be appreciated. Dancers endure an endless regimen of instruction, rehearsal, and performance.  To deliver the effortless grace one sees in a performance, dancers must be totally dedicated to their craft. I admire their work ethic. I relish the joy that comes from witnessing greatness first hand.  That is what I  saw with the Nutcracker at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles that evening.  It was simply breathtaking. No other word is adequate.

Earlier, a performance with Baryshnikov, Kirkland, and the same exceptional cast of dancers was recorded and is still available on DVD.  Here is a link to a trailer for that wonderful taped performance.

http://www.videodetective.com/movies/the-nutcracker/949642