≈ 2 hours · With intermission
Last updated: December 3, 2022
Notes from the Executive Producer
What a joyous moment to welcome back this version of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Fernand Nault for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. It has been over a decade since the stars aligned for this presentation to come to the NAC, and we are delighted to share this production. Fernand Nault (1920-2006) was co-artistic director and resident choreographer of Les Grands for many years, and several of his choreographies remain in the repertory of dance companies throughout North America. Les Grands has presented his Nutcracker every year since 1964, and it has spawned generations of future dancers. The number of patrons who are introduced to the art of dance through The Nutcracker continues to grow, and its magical and virtuosic attributes are a favourite for all ages.
Enjoy!
Notes from the Artistic Director
Dear audience,
It’s with great joy that Les Grands Ballets Canadiens presents six performances of The Nutcracker at the National Arts Center. Since the company had not offered this classic holiday delight in sixteen years in Ottawa, a special emotion springs from sharing Fernand Nault’s magical ballet with all of you.
After two years of absence, the children will be back on stage: their enthusiasm and excitement have been obvious during rehearsals these last weeks!
It is now time for you to follow Clara through the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets, to immerse yourself in this classical ballet that will lead you to a colorful and welcoming world on the famous music by Tchaikovsky. Dance has the power to transport us, and The Nutcracker is about to bring you on one of the most incredible imaginary journeys you can find in ballet.
I sincerely hope that this special moment spent with your loved ones will bring joy, magic, and gracefulness to the end of the year. Happy holidays!
Synopsis
"A fascinating show that leaves everyone in the audience feeling like a kid again."
- Narcity
Prologue
In front of Councillor von Stahlbaum’s house.
ACT I
It is Christmas Eve and Councillor von Stahlbaum is giving a party for his children, Clara and Fritz, and their friends. Among the guests is Clara’s godfather, Doctor Drosselmeyer, who is said to have magical powers. He gives Clara a nutcracker as a present. Clara also receives a pair of magical shoes from her grandparents. Jealous, Fritz breaks his sister’s nutcracker, which is hastily repaired by Doctor Drosselmeyer. Everybody dances around the Christmas tree and the nutcracker, and the evening ends on a happy note. When the party is over and everyone has gone to sleep, Clara goes downstairs to the living room and falls asleep with the nutcracker. Mice and rats invade the room and engage in a battle against tin soldiers. Suddenly, Clara is overpowered by the rodents but the nutcracker, brought to life by Doctor Drosselmeyer, comes to her rescue.
The nutcracker is almost killed by the King of the Rats in the ensuing duel but Clara ends the battle when she throws her magic shoe at the King of the Rats and hits him on the head. As a reward for Clara’s courage, Doctor Drosselmeyer transforms the nutcracker into a handsome Prince, who takes Clara to the Land of Snow. There, she dances with the Snowflakes, and the Prince then takes her to visit the Kingdom of Sweets.
ACT II
In this magical kingdom, the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cotton Candy Angels dance while awaiting the couple's arrival. Clara and the Prince are greeted by the King of Sweets, who holds a large sugar cane in his hand. The Prince tells everyone how Clara saved his life.
A big party is held in her honour. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince perform a dance to welcome them, and the three Chefs from the sweet kitchen arrive as well. The Prince recounts to the King of Sweets and to the whole court how Clara saved his life by throwing her shoe at the Rat King's head. After the telling of this great tale, a celebration is held in Clara’s honour. The three Chefs bring out their finest cakes for Clara and the Prince, who attend a series of fabulous themed dances: Chocolate from Spain, Coffee from Arabia, Tea from China, Trepak from Russia, and more! Then follow the dance of the Dewdrops, that of the Shepherd and his Sheep, and the great Waltz of the Flowers. Clara, proudly seated next to the Prince, is dazzled! The Sugar Plum Fairy herself takes a big Pas de deux with her Prince and all join them to dance one last time for their special guests.
Unfortunately, the party has to come to an end. The Sugar Plum Fairy picks up Clara to remind her that it's time to go home. Clara bids farewell to the King of Sweets, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince who brought her to this beautiful land. Clara sets off in a large coach pulled by swans. On Christmas morning, she wakes up in her bed, her nutcracker snuggled in her arms. She returns to a world where magic is not always visible at first glance, and you must keep your eyes open to see it... She will never forget that wonderful night!
The Nutcracker: A brief history
Tchaikovsky had a strong sense of dance and composed three ballets: Swan Lake, that debuted in Moscow to a disastrous reception in 1877, Sleeping Beauty, met with great acclaim in 1890, and The Nutcracker, a limited success at its debut at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg in December 1892.
After the success of Sleeping Beauty, Vsevolozhsky, director of the Imperial Theatres, decided to add another major ballet to the Mariinsky Theatre’s repertoire by commissioning Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. The Nutcracker's libretto is based on Alexandre Dumas’s French adaptation of the tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Tchaikovsky wrote parts of the work in the United States, which he had been invited to conduct at the opening of Carnegie Hall in 1891. He had an assortment of drums, trumpets and children’s toys brought in from abroad. In the variations of the Sugar Plum Fairy, he also introduced the celesta, a new instrument at the time.
The score, performed as a symphonic suite in March 1892, enjoyed greater success than the ballet. Petipa fell ill and was replaced by his assistant, Lev Ivanov, who created wonderfully inventive characters and scenes for the ballet. The dances in the first-act party, the behaviour of the real children, the portrayal of the wind-up dolls, the battle scene between the tin soldiers and the rats, the marvellous idea of the snowflakes, and the classic beauty of the pas de deux are among the elements that continue to make The Nutcracker such an enduring masterpiece. The ballet’s success also certainly owes much to Tchaikovsky’s brilliant score, which perfectly captures the world of dreams of Clara, the young heroine.
The music of Tchaikovsky
The commission to write the ballet came in 1891, at the height of Tchaikovsky’s fame and popularity. His Sleeping Beauty had had a big success the year before, and now the director of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Ivan Vsevolozhsky, wanted another ballet from Tchaikovsky, specifically one based on Alexandre Dumas père’s French adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s tale Nussknacker und Mausekōnig (The Nutcracker and the Mouse-King) ̶ hence, the oft-quoted French title Casse-noisette, even in Russia. Vsevolozhsky drew up the scenario himself. Tchaikovsky worked closely with the great choreographer Marius Petipa, whose instructions to the composer resembled the demands of film scores today, with their precise timings in the creation of moods and representation of events. This artistic partnership resulted in music of the highest quality, thoroughly inspired in its atmospherics, richly laced with memorable tunes, and imbued with colourful orchestration. Yet Tchaikovsky had surprisingly little sympathy for the subject, and he is on record as saying that he “liked the plot of The Nutcracker very little.”
Tchaikovsky worked on The Nutcracker during February and March of 1891, including throughout his travels in Western Europe. The first act was fully sketched before Tchaikovsky sailed to America in April. Nevertheless, the score was not finished until nearly a year later. On March 19, 1892, Tchaikovsky conducted a suite drawn from the complete score at an orchestral concert in St. Petersburg. The response was enthusiastic; five of the eight numbers had to be encored. Yet the premiere of the full-length production in December was not the success everyone had expected more for reasons of casting and choreography than for musical content. Petipa, having become ill, had entrusted much of the choreography to a substitute – and inferior – creator, Lev Ivanov. The audience was not prepared for a host of children on stage instead of the traditional corps de ballet, and the Sugar Plum Fairy was hardly a vision of pristine beauty.
The sprightly, deftly scored Overture sets the mood for Christmas joy as perceived through the world of children. We are in the household of a prominent family. A huge, beautiful Christmas tree dominates the living room. The parents decorate the tree to a graceful theme in the violins. When the children burst onto the scene, the music becomes more restless and impetuous. To contain the children’s exuberance, a march is organized during which all parade around the room imitating soldiers. More dances follow: an effervescent galop for the children; a formal, dignified polonaise as more parents arrive; and another dance for the kids to the French nursery rhyme “Bon voyage, cher Dumollet.”
Suddenly a menacing figure appears in the doorway. This is Herr Drosselmeyer, a man as kind as he is strange-looking. He presents the children with fabulous toys, one of which is a nutcracker. The children seize upon it eagerly and, in their enthusiasm, manage to break it. Little Clara places the broken figure in her doll’s cradle and sings it a lullaby (interrupted by the boys' frantic march with toy trumpets). The scene ends with a general dance in a stately vein, the traditional “Grandfather Dance” based on an old German folk tune. The guests leave and the household retires for the night.
Clara cannot take her mind off the nutcracker and steals back into the living room to check on it. Strange phenomena are all about. The Christmas tree grows to enormous proportions before Clara’s very eyes. The toy dolls and soldiers come to life and led by the nutcracker, engage in a pitched battle with an army of mice. The nutcracker is about to be overcome by the Mouse King when Clara hurls her slipper at the beast, killing it. The nutcracker thereupon turns into a handsome prince. In gratitude for saving his life, he invites her to join him on a journey to his magic kingdom. To some of Tchaikovsky's most inspired orchestral music, the room is transformed into a pine forest in winter. At the conclusion of their journey through the night in the snow-covered forest, Clara arrives at the Kingdom of Sweets, where she is treated first to a spectacular waltz of swirling snowflakes.
Act II takes place at the court of the Sugar Plum Fairy, ruler of the Kingdom. After ceremonial introductions all around, a grand divertissement (entertainment) is presented to the accompaniment of a lavish banquet in honour of Clara’s visit. Dances from strange and distant lands are seen in sequence (most of these are found in the well-known Suite), collectively offering a wide variety of contrasting styles, colours and moods:
Spain – Chocolate is portrayed as a brilliant bolero (and virtuosic trumpet solos!).
Arabia – A languid, sensuous theme in the clarinets unfolds over a rocking accompaniment figure. The sounds of muted violins waft gently upwards like summer breezes.
China – Shrill flutes and piccolo contrast with the humorous “um-pah”-ing of bassoons.
Russia – The trepak is the only native Russian element in the entire Nutcracker score. It begins with a furious energy that continues unabated through to the final bars.
Danse des mirlitons – Reed pipes (mirlitons) are depicted by three flutes and an English horn. Mirlitons are also a kind of crunchy pastry.
Mother Gigogne and her Polichinelles – The music again suggests French folk tunes, this time to accompany the portrayal of the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.
Then follows what is probably Tchaikovsky’s most famous waltz, the "Waltz of the Flowers", which may well be the world’s second most popular after the "Blue Danube". Tchaikovsky pays fitting tribute to Johann Strauss II, the “Waltz King,” in this graceful, elegant music that is as evocative as it is colourfully scored.
For many connoisseurs, the musical highlight of the entire ballet is the Pas de deux for Clara and her nutcracker Prince. (In some productions, the Sugar Plum Fairy dances instead of Clara). Petipa had asked that this number be “colossal in effect,” and Tchaikovsky obliged with some of his most rapturous music. An intense, falling theme in the cellos is heard against a background of harp arpeggios, and the music builds to ever more powerful climaxes with truly opulent orchestration. This love scene as imagined by the young Clara is followed by two brief solo numbers – a tarantella for the Prince, and the famous Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, in which Tchaikovsky features the newly – invented celesta, a keyboard instrument resembling a small upright piano in appearance, but whose tone is more like that of a glockenspiel – dry, crystal clear and delicate: a perfect accompaniment for the character depicted. The two soloists then join for an energetic closing number to their Pas de deux.
To a final waltz and an apotheosis of symphonic proportions, farewells are said all around as Clara prepares to leave the Magic Kingdom, her Christmas dream now about to end. But the memory of this event will stay with Clara forever, just as Tchaikovsky’s music keeps eternally alive the spirit of fantasy to help us hold on to the childlike wonder of life in never-never land, where impossible dreams come true.
The Nutcracker around the world
Restaged countless times since its creation, The Nutcracker is featured in the repertoire of numerous companies.
Notable versions in Russia include Vainonen’s staging for the Kirov in 1934, which replaced those of Gorsky in 1917 and Lopukhov in 1929, and was followed by that of Grigorovitch at the Bolshoi in 1966.
The Nutcracker also made its impression in the West, with notable runs including Sergeev’s version of The Nutcracker staged by the Sadler’s Wells Ballet in 1934, with Alicia Markova as England’s first Sugar Plum Fairy; Boris Romanov’s staging for Les Ballets of Monte-Carlo in 1936; that of Rudolf Nureyev staged at the Royal Opera House in 1968 and then at Teatro alla Scala in 1969, with Nureyev himself in the roles of Dresselmeyer and the Prince; and finally John Neumeier’s staging at Oper Frankfurt in 1971. In Paris, The Nutcracker was first performed as a shortened version by Jean-Jacques Etchevery at the Opéra-Comique in 1947, and then with choreography by Michel Rayne in 1965. In 1976, Roland Petit staged a unique, modern version with the Ballet national de Marseille. The ballet was performed for the first time in the United States in 1940 by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
A new version by Balanchine in 1954 was a resounding success. Mikhail Baryshnikov also staged his take on The Nutcracker for the American Ballet Theatre in 1976.
Artists
Born in Bolzano, Italy, in 1964, Ivan Cavallari received his initial training at the Teatro alla Scala Ballet School in Milan. His teachers recognized his talent by awarding him a scholarship to the Bolchoi Ballet School in Moscow in 1981, where he continued his training until 1983. From 1984 to 1985, he danced with the Scala Ballet School before joining the Stuttgart Ballet in 1986, where he became a soloist and then principal dancer under the successive directorships of Marcia Haydée and Reid Anderson. He danced all the leading roles of John Cranko’s ballets and regularly staged the latter’s works with the Royal Ballet Covent Garden in London, La Scala in Milan, the Czech National Ballet, among many other companies. He also staged numerous works by Uwe Scholz, and choreographed ballets for the Stuttgart Ballet, the State Opera Ballet in Hanover, the Lodz State Opera Ballet in Poland, the Mannheim Ballet, the Vienna State Opera Ballet, the Staatsgallerie Stuttgart and the Liaoning Ballet of China.
From 2007 to 2012, he was the Artistic Director of the West Australian Ballet, the oldest dance company in Australia. In 2013, he was named the Artistic Director of the Ballet de l’Opéra national du Rhin, where he staged such works as Dolly in April 2013, and his own choreographies of Pinocchio in 2014 and The Nutcracker in 2016.
He took over the helm of Les Grands Ballets as Artistic Director as of the 2017-2018 season. As choreographer, he created new works such as Presto-Detto and Giselle, taking the company's repertoire in a resolutely classical direction while remaining rooted in modernity. His version of Romeo & Juliet premiered in March 2022 at Place des Arts in Montreal.
Born in Montreal, Fernand Nault first studied dance with Maurice Morenoff and then in New York, London and Paris with renowned masters. From 1944 to 1965, he was a dancer, then ballet master at The American Ballet Theatre. From 1960 to 1964, he was also director of the company’s school in New York.
In 1965, he joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens as co‑artistic director and resident choreographer. He helped the company take flight by creating astonishingly diverse works, ranging from classical to neo‑classical, by way of contemporary and theatrical dance. Thus he added to the repertoire works such as La Fille mal gardée, Danses concertantes, Symphony of Psalms, Liberté tempérée, La Scouine and The Seven Deadly Sins not to mention his famous The Nutcracker presented each year since 1964 and two works of resounding success and international renown: Carmina Burana and Tommy.
Fernand Nault remained resident choreographer of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens while serving as choreographer and ballet master at l’École supérieure de danse du Québec. Between 1985 and 1988, at the request of Ludmilla Chiriaeff, he organized several series of performances intended to foster a taste for dance among elementary, secondary schools and cegeps students in the Montreal region.
Fernand Nault has conceived choreographies for The American Ballet Theatre, The Joffrey Ballet, The Atlanta Ballet, The Ballet Federation of the Philippines, The Delta Festival Ballet and The Washington Ballet. From 1978 to 1981 he was guest choreographer and, from 1981 to 1982, artistic director of The Colorado Ballet. Among other collaborations, Fernand Nault choreographed the dance sequences of Aïda and La Veuve joyeuse presented by L’Opéra de Montréal in 1986 and 1991.
Fernand Nault has received three awards from the Canadian government, the Centennial Medal, in 1967, the Order of Canada, in 1977 and the Governor General’s awards for the performing arts, in 2000. He has been awarded the prize for choreography, in 1976, for his ballet Incohérence at the 7th International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. In 1984, he was honoured by the Government of Quebec with the prix Denise‑Pelletier, a lifetime achievement award. In 1990, he was accepted as a Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec and was named Choreographer Emeritus of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.
In 2003, Fernand Nault founded the Fonds chorégraphique Ferrnand Nault, a trust with mission to insure the continuity of his choreographic heritage and to make accessible is repertoire to professional dance companies and schools.
Fernand Nault passed away on December 26th 2006 at the dawn of his 86th anniversary.
Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra is praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary learning and engagement programs, and its unwavering support of Canadian creativity. The NAC Orchestra is based in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, and has grown into one of the country’s most acclaimed and dynamic ensembles since its founding in 1969. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, engaging communities from coast to coast to coast through inclusive programming, compelling storytelling, and innovative partnerships.
Since taking the helm in 2015, Shelley has shaped the Orchestra’s artistic vision, building on the legacy of his predecessor, Pinchas Zukerman, who led the ensemble for 16 seasons. Shelley’s influence extends beyond the NAC. He serves as Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the UK and Artistic and Music Director of Artis—Naples and the Naples Philharmonic in the United States. In addition to his other conducting roles, the Pacific Symphony in Los Angeles’s Orange County announced Shelley’s appointment as its next Artistic and Music Director. The initial five-year term begins in the 2026-2027 season, with Shelley serving as Music Director-Designate from September 2025. Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser complement Shelley’s leadership. In 2024, the Orchestra marked a new chapter with the appointment of Henry Kennedy as its first-ever Resident Conductor.
The Orchestra has a rich history of partnerships with renowned artists such as James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Renée Fleming, Hilary Hahn, Jeremy Dutcher, Jan Lisiecki, Ray Chen, and Yeol Eum Son, underscoring its reputation as a destination for world-class talent. As one of the most accessible, inclusive and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.
A hallmark of the NAC Orchestra is its national and international tours. The Orchestra has performed concerts in every Canadian province and territory and earned frequent invitations to perform abroad. These tours spotlight Canadian composers and artists, bringing their voices to stages across North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.
Performers
Dates (December): 1E, 2E, 3M, 3E, 4M, 4E
M: Matinée
E: Evening
ACT I
FIRST SCENE
- Fritz
Thomas Lortie (1E, 3M, 4M)
Roméo Gault (2E, 3E, 4E) - Clara
Rosemarie Brousseau (1E, 3M, 4M)
Athena Chen (2E, 3E, 4E) - The Councillor von Stahlbaum
Étienne Gagnon-Delorme (4E)
James Lyttle (3E)
Felixovich Morante (1E, 3M)
Hamilton Nieh (2E, 4M) - Madame Von Stahlbaum
Claudia Colonna (1E, 3M, 4E)
Sarah-Maude Laliberté (2E)
Tatiana Lerebours (3E, 4M) - The Ladies
Claudia Colonna, Alexandra Eccles, Kiara Flavin, Maude Fleury, Andrea Hernandez, Sarah-Maude Laliberté, Diana Leon, Tatiana Lerebours, Carrigan MacDonald, Anaïs Roy, Calista Shepheard, Rose Trahan, Laura Vande Zande. - The Gentlemen
Nickolas Andreson, Antoine Bertran, Bernardo Betancor, Noah Broadway, Giuseppe Canale, Louis DeFelice, François Gagné, Enno Kleinehanding, Oscar Lambert, James Lyttle, Santiago Merchan, Arnaud Mongeon, Théodore Poubeau, André Santos, Christian Scifo, Angel Vizcaino. - Clara's Grandmother
Laura Vande Zande (1E, 4M)
Ariane Pejot-Charrost (2E, 3M, 3E, 4E) - Clara's Grandfather
Santiago Merchan (1E, 3M)
Andrew Giday (2E, 3E, 4M, 4E) - The Children
Gabriel Beaupré, Romain Charron, Sofia Chiosa Faguy, Alice Clement, Cassandra Deschamps, Nahla Desrosiers-Ouassif, Coralie Jérôme, Laure Menu, Jérôme Monty, Maelle Perez Bordeleau, Milan Rochon, Leonel Alexander Rodríguez Pérez, Elias Shanski, Heloísa Silveira Portella. - The Maids
Diana Leon and Tuesday Rain Leduc (1S, 2S)
Cassandre Leroux and Tuesday Rain Leduc (3M, 4S)
Leela Taggar and Diana Leon (3S)
Cassandre Leroux and Leela Taggar (4M) - Doctor Drosselmeyer
Antoine Bertran (3M, 3E, 4E)
James Lyttle (1E, 4M)
Felixovich Morante (2E) - The Mechanical Columbine
Alexandra Eccles (4M)
Kiara Felder (1E, 3E)
Maude Fleury (2E)
Carrigan MacDonald (3M)
Rose Trahan (4E) - The Mechanical Harlequin
Bernardo Betancor (3M)
Giuseppe Canale (3E)
Théodore Poubeau (4E)
André Santos (4M)
Stephen Satterfield (2E)
Angel Vizcaino (1E) - The Mechanical Soldier
Oscar Lambert (1E)
Bernardo Betancor (2E)
Christian Scifo (3M)
Théodore Poubeau (3E, 4M)
Giuseppe Canale (4E) - The Nutcracker
Giuseppe Canale (3M)
Hamilton Nieh (1E, 3E)
Théodore Poubeau (2E)
Christian Scifo (4M, 4E) - The King of the Rats
Antoine Bertran (2E)
Étienne Gagnon-Delorme (3E, 4M)
Oscar Lambert (1E)
James Lyttle (3M, 4E) - The Prince
Giuseppe Canale (2E, 4M)
François Gagné (3M, 4E)
André Santos (1E, 3E) - The Platoon of Toy Soldiers
Nickolas Andreson, Antoine Bertran, Bernardo Betancor, Noah Broadway, Giuseppe Canale, Justin Côté, Louis DeFelice, François Gagné, Étienne Gagnon-Delorme, Oscar Lambert, Santiago Merchan, Arnaud Mongeon, Théodore Poubeau, Christian Scifo, Elias Roldan, Tao Stone Leduc. - The Regiment of Rats
Duncan-Benji Anderson, Coralie Bélanger, Gabrielle Bélanger, Félix Desjardins, Charlie Devine, Dahlia Hébert, Magalie Krakana-Madore, Ariane Larivière - The Nurse
Jaëlle Dumel - The Wee Mice
Éva Armijo-Chan, Fitz Casey, Ève Dessureault, Sebastian Henderson, Eve Joanisse, Jolie Kilpatrick, Lyon Kilpatrick
SECOND SCENE / The Land of Snow
- The Snow Queen and her Cavalier
(1E): Étienne Gagnon-Delorme and Anya Nevitaylo
(2E): Raphaël Bouchard and Emma Garau Cima
(3M, 4E): Graeme Fuhrman and Yui Sugawara
(3E, 4M): Emma Garau Cima and Felixovich Morante - The Snowflakes
(1E): Tetyana Martyanova, Tatiana Lerebours, Kiara Flavin, Mai Kono
(2E): Calista Shepheard, Maude Fleury, Carrigan MacDonald, Kiara Felder
(3M, 4E): Tetyana Martyanova, Tatiana Lerebours, Kiara Flavin, Alexandra Eccles
(3E, 4M): Calista Shepheard, Maude Fleury, Carrigan MacDonald, Sofia Gonzales - With
Alexandra Eccles, Anaïs Roy, Andrea Hernandez, Annaelle Carette, Ariane Pejot-Charrost, Calista Shepheard, Carrigan MacDonald, Cassandre Leroux, Claudia Colonna, Diana Leon, Éliane Jacques, Éloise Chenier, Emma MacDonald, Guyonn Auriau, Kiara Felder, Kiara Flavin, Laïka Wintemute, Laura Vande Zande, Maude Fleury, Rose Trahan, Sarah-Maude Laliberté, Sofia Gonzales, Tatiana Lerebours, Tetyana Martyanova, Tuesday Rain Leduc - The Reindeers
Laura Harquail, Naomi Jascho, Hannah McIntosh, Anna Walker
-- INTERMISSION --
ACT II. KINGDOM OF SWEETS
- The Sugar Plum and her Cavalier
Raphaël Bouchard and Vanesa G. R. Montoya (1E)
Graeme Fuhrman and Anya Nesvitaylo (2E, 3E, 4M)
Mai Kono and Angel Vizcaino (3M, 4E) - The King of Candyland
Andrew Giday (1E, 3M, 4E)
Chantal Dauphinais (2E, 3E, 4M) - The Three Cooks
(1E, 4E): Anaïs Roy, Rose Trahan, Laura Vande Zande
(2E): Andrea Hernandez, Leela Taggar, Laïka Wintemute
(3M): Andrea Hernandez, Anaïs Roy, Laura Vande Zande
(3E, 4M): Andrea Hernandez, Leela Taggar, Laïka Wintemute - Cotton-Candy Angels
Sasha Burrell, Ayah Burrows, Stella Cauchi, Finlay Craig, Grace Girouard, Élisabeth Laeer, Autumn Lavergne, LiCan-Marie Leduc, Ellie Molloy, Victoria Noisette, Karina Pinault, Léane St-Pierre - Chocolate
(1E, 2E): Étienne Gagnon-Delorme, Emma Garau Cima, José Morales
(3M): Bernardo Betancor, Oscar Lambert, Tatiana Lerebours
(3E): Giuseppe Canale, Kiara Felder, Stephen Satterfield
(4M): Kiara Felder, Enno Kleinehanding, Hamilon Nieh
(4E): Kiara Felder, James Lyttle, Hamilton Nieh - Coffee
Anya Nesvitaylo (1E, 4E)
Tatiana Lerebours (2E)
Tetyana Martyanova (3M)
Yui Sugawara (3E, 4M) - With
Juliane Bélisle, Eden Haley, Rebecca McDonald, Jane Rylaarsdam, Clara Shales, Beatriz Silveira Portella, Aisha Winfield-Khan - Tea
(1E): Bernardo Betancor, Alexandra Eccles, Théodore Poubeau
(2E): Enno Kleinehanding, Carrigan MacDonald, Christian Scifo
(3M): Enno Kleinehanding, Christian Scifo, Rose Trahan
(3E, 4M): Kiara Flavin, James Lyttle, Théodore Poubeau
(4E)Giuseppe Canale, Alexandra Eccles, Étienne Gagnon-Delorme - Trépak
François Gagné (1E)
Étienne Gagnon-Delorme (3M)
José Morales (3E, 4M)
André Santos (4E)
Angel Vizcaino (2E) - The Two Matryochkas Dolls
Angiolina Di Iorio, Maïna Fournier - The Dewdrops
Yui Sugarawa (1E, 4E)
Mai Kono (2E, 3E, 4M)
Kiara Felder (3M) - With
Maude Fleury and Tatiana Lerebours (1E, 4M)
Kiara Flavin and Rose Trahan (2E)
Alexandra Eccles and Carrigan MacDonald (3M)
Alexandra Eccles and Rose Trahan (3E)
Tetyana Martyanova and Calista Shepheard (4E) - The Marzipan Shepherd
Antoine Bertran (1E, 3E)
Théodore Poubeau (2E, 4E)
Angel Vizcaino (3E, 4M) - The Black Sheep
Valéria Matte-Milosserdov - The White Sheeps
Sofia Chiosa Faguy, Nahla Desrosiers-Ouassif, Laure Menu - The Waltz of the Flowers
Graeme Fuhrman and Maude Sabourin (1E)
Kiara Felder and Stephen Satterfield (2E)
Emma Garau Cima and Hamilton Nieh (3M)
Étienne Gagnon-Delorme and Vanesa G. R. Montoya (3E, 4M, 4E) - With
Nickolas Andreson, Guyonn Auriau, Antoine Bertran, Bernardo Betancor, Noah Broadway, Éloise Chenier, Claudia Colonna, Louis DeFelice, Alexandra Eccles, Kiara Flavin, Kiara Felder, Maude Fleury, François Gagné, Sofia Gonzales, Andrea Hernandez, Éliane Jacques, Enno Kleinehanding, Sarah-Maude Laliberté, Oscar Lambert, Diana Leon, Tatiana Lerebours, Cassandre Leroux, James Lyttle, Carrigan MacDonald, Tetyana Martyanova, Santiago Merchan, Alexie Morlot, Ana Sofia Natera Marquez, Théodore Poubeau, Tuesday Rain Leduc, Anaïs Roy, Christian Scifo, Calista Shepheard, Tao Stone Leduc, Rose Trahan, Angel Vizcaino, Laïka Wintemute, Laura Vande Zande.
NAC Orchestra
Conductor: Airat Ichmouratov
- First Violins
**Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster)
Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Marjolaine Lambert
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Manuela Milani
Emily Westell
Emily Kruspe
*Martine Dubé
*Oleg Chelpanov
*Renée London - Second Violins
Mintje van Lier (principal)
Winston Webber (assistant principal)
Leah Roseman
Carissa Klopoushak
Frédéric Moisan
Zhengdong Liang
Karoly Sziladi
Mark Friedman
**Edvard Skerjanc
*Heather Schnarr
*Andréa Armijo Fortin - Violas
Jethro Marks (principal)
David Marks (associate principal)
**David Goldblatt (assistant principal)
Paul Casey
David Thies-Thompson
*Sonya Probst
*Vincent Marks - Cellos
**Rachel Mercer (principal)
**Julia MacLaine (assistant principal)
Marc-André Riberdy
Leah Wyber
Timothy McCoy
*Thaddeus Morden
*Desiree Abbey
*Karen Kang - Double basses
Max Cardilli (assistant principal)
Vincent Gendron
Marjolaine Fournier
**Hilda Cowie
*Paul Mach - Flutes
Joanna G'froerer (principal)
Stephanie Morin
*Kaili Maimets - Oboes
Charles Hamann (principal)
Anna Petersen
*Melissa Scott
English Horn
Anna Petersen - Clarinets
Kimball Sykes (principal)
Sean Rice
*Shauna Barker - Bassoons
Darren Hicks (principal)
Vincent Parizeau - Horns
Lawrence Vine (principal)
Julie Fauteux (associate principal)
Elizabeth Simpson
Lauren Anker
Louis-Pierre Bergeron
*Olivier Brisson - Trumpets
Karen Donnelly (principal)
Steven van Gulik
*Taz Eddy - Trombones
**Donald Renshaw (principal)
*Steve Dyer (guest principal)
Colin Traquair - Bass Trombone
*David Pell - Tubas
Chris Lee (principal) - Timpani
*Nicholas Stoup (guest principal) - Percussion
Jonathan Wade
*Andrew Johnson - Harp/Harpe
*Angela Schwarzkopf - Celeste
*Olga Gross - Principal Librarian
- Nancy Elbeck
- Assistant Librarian
- Corey Rempel
- Personnel Manager
- Meiko Lydall
- Assistant Personnel Manager
- Laurie Shannon
*Additional musicians
**On Leave
Credits
- Artistic Director
Ivan Cavallari - Ballet Masters
Hervé Courtain, Marina Villanueva - Ballet répétiteur
Pierre Lapointe - Production Director
Stéphan Pépin - Technical Director
Simon Beetschen - Production Coordinator
Gabrielle Lemoine-Brin - Stage Manager
Jasmine Kamruzzaman - Resident Lighting Designer
Marc Parent - Resident Sound Designer and Sound Engineer
Raymond Soly - Head Stage Carpenter
Kenneth Gregg - Head of Accessories
Pierre Berthiaume - Head of Lighting
Patrick Carrière - Assistant Head of Lighting
Dominic Drouin - Head of Sound
Aidan MacCormack - Head Dresser
Denise Morin - Assistant to Head Dresser
Laurence Binette - Head of Makeup
Sarah Ladouceur - Assistant to Head of Makeup
Janie Drouin - Head of Wardrobe
Mélanie Ferrero - Assistant-Head Wardrobe
Louisanne Lamarre - Wardrobe Clerk
Christelle Deforceville - Buyer
Julie Pelletier - Project manager-wardrobe:
Marie-Hélène Gravel - Cutter
Keli Alexandre and Hélène Painchaud - Assistant-cutter
Jessica Meghan Marcotte - Wardrobe assistant
Emilie Tremblay Lévesque - Seamstresses
Michèle Gagné, Eve Boisvert, Anabel Caron, Cecilia Meza, Silvana Fernandez, Natalie Talbot, Francine Viens, Isabelle St-Gelais, Hélène Falardeau, Zeina Khalife, Camille Alice Tran Ba Tho -Korda, Jessika Neszvecsko, Mireille Tremblay, Gillian Meuris, Pamela Masseport, Patricia Villeneuve, Mari-Philippe Comeau, Jade Ricard, Phoebé Folco Millette, Yeelen Stanislas - Wigs
Cybèle Perruques - Heads of Technical and Costume departments, IATSE Members, local 56 and 863
Les Grands Ballets Sponsors
Les Grands Ballets are supported by Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Canada Council for the Arts, and Conseil des arts de Montréal.
NAC Dance Team
- Executive Producer
Cathy Levy - Senior Producer
Tina Legari - Special Projects Coordinator and Assistant to the Executive Producer
Mireille Nicholas - Company Manager
Sophie Anka - Education Associate and Teaching Artist
Siôned Watkins - Technical Director
Brian Britton - Communications Strategist
Julie Gunville - Marketing Strategist
Marie-Chantale Labbé-Jacques
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees