No holiday season is complete without Tchaikovsky’s classical ballet, the dazzling Nutcracker, but have you ever seen a gravy boat on stage? You read that right. Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s (RWB) production is Canadiana-themed, bringing a fantastical and local sense of whimsy to an otherwise technically complex and enchanting fairytale, playing at the NAC this week only. We spoke with Principal Dancer Alanna McAdie to see what viewers can expect.
Alanna McAdie and Peter Lancksweerdt in the 2022 RWB production of The Nutcracker. Photo: Daniel Crump.
“Our Nutcracker features a lot of Canadian elements: we have a mini Parliament set up in our Mouse King battle scene and the main outdoor scene in our production features historical homes from Winnipeg,” says McAdie.
This version premiered in Ottawa in 1991 and RWB is bringing it back.
The Nutcracker was the first ballet McAdie saw as a child that sparked her interest. Initially trained as a competitive highland dancer, she began ballet training to supplement that work, but quickly fell in love with the music and the costumes of ballet. After seeing The Nutcracker, she immediately asked to be in it and a year later joined the dancers on stage as an angel. Since then, she’s been hooked. Today she is the Principal Dancer at RWB and is dancing the leading role in the production.
RWB Students in the 2021 production of The Nutcracker. Photo: Daniel Crump.
It’s McAdie’s 10th (!) season dancing the role of Clara, and a lot has changed since her first go. “The Nutcracker is very technically challenging, right up there with The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, in a similar (hard) Russian style. I love that we do it every year, I feel like I can go back in and check in on my own technique and see the progress,” says McAdie.
Alanna McAdie in the 2021 RWB production of The Nutcracker. Photo: Daniel Crump.
Clara was McAdie’s first leading role 10 years ago, and she’s matured a lot since then, having danced leads in equally challenging Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. Drawing on her other experiences, reprising the role of Clara is a chance for McAdie to reconnect with her inner child and find the wholesome innocence of joy and wonder again: “It came more naturally when I was younger. Now, I love the specific moment when we have peas and carrots in the battle and I really feel like a child, it’s so fun!”
When it comes to pre-performance rituals, every dancer does something different, from breathwork to prayers.
“I’m not really superstitious but I always make sure I have three pairs of pointe shoes and I try each pair and stand in them and feel which is the right pair to wear today,” says McAdie.
After the two hour and four minute total production, it’s time to wind down: “On tour, we finish shows quite late every night, so I like to eat a good meal afterwards and relax on the couch or stretch. My mind is still so active and excited, so it’s all about calming it down to do the show again tomorrow.”
Kyra Soo in the 2021 RWB production of The Nutcracker. Photo: Daniel Crump.
In a truly full circle moment from a young girl in awe in the audience to the professional ballerina on stage, McAdie always loves seeing the kids playing angels in the show: “You never know which one will want to do ballet too, it’s fun!”
And this is what it’s truly about: the magical holiday spirit, the wonder and joy of enchanting fairytales, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the evil Mouse King, and finding a little bit of that magic in all of us.
Peter Lancksweerdt and Liam Saito in the 2022 RWB production of The Nutcracker. Photo: Daniel Crump.
Choreographed by RWB alumni Galina Yordanova and Nina Menon and set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, this production features dazzling costumes designed by Paul Daigle and a masterpiece set designed by Brian Perchaluk. We are ready to escape the world with RWB’s Nutcracker and Tchaikovsky’s music.
The Nutcracker runs from Nov. 29–Dec. 3 in Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre. Evening performances begin at 7pm and there are matinees at 1:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available for purchase here.
The NAC’s main accessible entrance is on Elgin Street. The Canal Lobby entrance and Parking 2 and 3 vestibules are also accessible. Seating for wheelchair users, the visually impaired and their companions is available in every performance venue. All NAC public spaces, event spaces, and washrooms are wheelchair accessible. Universal and companion care washrooms are located on the Orchestra level of Southam Hall.
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