RGV Ballet’s 50th Anniversary of the Nutcracker

SUITE MEMORIES

Rio Grande Valley Ballet celebrates 50th Anniversary performance of the Nutcracker

By Dr. Kimberly Selber Photography by Jimmy Kryzak & Cliff Ranson

The Nutcracker, with its beautiful costumes, dreamlike score, and delightful roles, has enchanted audiences for over 130 years. The classic Christmas story is a fairy tale ballet centered on a family’s Christmas Eve celebration and a toy soldier coming to life. Alexandre Dumas Père’s adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” was set to music by Tchaikovsky and first choreographed by Marius Petipa premiering a week before Christmas 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia. On Christmas eve of 1944, this magical ballet debuted in the U.S. with the San Francisco Ballet. Doria Avila, the founding director and choreographer of the Rio Grande Valley Ballet, first staged this holiday classic in 1972 for Valley audiences.

Deborah Case entered the RGV dance scene as a principal dancer in 1976 and, with Avila’s retirement in 1993, became the RGV Ballet’s second artistic director. Case is a classically trained dancer and received her education degree from Texas Christian University. She teaches in the Vaganova (Russian) dance method and holds an official ballet certificate from the Bolshoi Ballet’s Academy. For 43 years, Case has dedicated her artistic career to dance and dance education in the Rio Grande Valley. This year, she celebrates the 50th-anniversary performance of the RGV Ballet’s staging of the Nutcracker with some very special additions.

“For more than 30 years, I’ve dreamed of the dancers performing with a live orchestra,” Case beamed. This year, that dream has come true through the orchestra that Dr. Norman Gamboa has put together. Gamboa, director of orchestral activities at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and conductor of the Rio Grande Youth Symphony, contacted Case in October 2022 about conducting an orchestra for the Nutcracker. “I couldn’t believe it,” Case mused. “This has all come together magically and with so many blessings.”

In addition to the live orchestral performance, Carol J. Brown, director of Colibrí children’s choir, will bring to life the snow scene with the Colibrí Alumni Choir. The original score for the Waltz of the Snowflakes in Act I includes a wordless chorus. “There are 18 measures of snow singing in the original Nutcracker,” Case stated. “This is going to be really special.” Along with the live performance, live orchestra, and live chorus, Case has also brought new choreography and costumes to this 50th-anniversary production. Working with German choreographer Alex Ossadnik, there will be a new staging of the mouse battle and the Arabian dances, among other scenes. “The new choreography is spectacular,” Case stated. “There will be more people on stage. He’s [Ossadnik] really good at filling the stage with interesting scenarios.”

While some of the costumes may be new, they are still in the beloved tradition of the classic Nutcracker— Clara’s flowing nightgown, the toy soldier’s uniform, the magical sugar plum fairies, and of course, the adorable Mother Ginger.

Hundreds of dancers have performed in the Rio Grande Valley Ballet’s Nutcracker. To celebrate them, Case is holding an alumni reunion for all former Nutcracker dancers on December 10th at 1:30 PM at the McAllen Performing Arts Tower Lounge. Yloy Ybarra, New York-based dancer/ choreographer and RGV Ballet Alum will be staging a new overture starring the Nutcracker alums. “This is an exciting reunion for us all,” Case said. “Most of our alums have never performed in the Performing Arts Center, so this will be a magical moment for them, too.”

Audiences, young and old, will love the 50th Anniversary performance of the Rio Grande Valley Ballet’s The Nutcracker on December 10-11, 2022. Tickets are available at the McAllen Performing Arts Center or on Ticketmaster.com. To learn more, visit RGVballet.com.