I M AG I N I N G
by Ann Dunn Artistic & Executive Director The Asheville Ballet Photo by Laura Sturgell
W
hat does December without a live “Nutcracker” look and feel like? What makes a live “Nutcracker” ballet so integral to the holiday season? To get our answer, let’s hop on the Ghost of Christmas Past’s cape and fly to the Before Times.
new world to 2,000 young people, newly enveloped in art. Imagine: The evenings and matinees. Families with children dressed in red and green brave the inclement weather to sit in a darkened theatre as Tchaikovsky’s music and Petipas’ choreography unfold before them. They share with one another, and in communion with everyone in the theatre, the joy of the season, a mythical coming of age story, seemingly impossible feats of physical prowess, hundreds of colorful costumes, humor, magic and beauty.
Ann Dunn Imagine: Thursday and Friday mornings in December. Yellow school buses roll in, unloading 500 children (per performance) from around the region, most of whom have never before experienced the wonder of live theatre and ballet. The excitement, the noise, the silence as the lights go down. Then the curtains part, revealing a whole
Imagine: You are part of a tradition that dates back well over 100 years — a 28
