Nutcracker
Talmi Entertainment presents NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet Act I - A Christmas Party
Tchaikovsky’s acclaimed score for this classic Christmas story opens with a “Miniature Overture” during which magical Uncle Drosselmeyer prepares his life-sized Christmas gifts for niece Clara and nephew Fritz at Mayor Stahlbaum’s family home in Moscow later that evening. The music sets the fanciful holiday mood as the curtain soon opens to reveal the iconic European city skyline and distinguished guests arrive for the Christmas Eve Party. Clara, little brother Fritz, and mother and father Stahlbaum celebrate the holiday with friends and family, when beloved godfather Uncle Drosselmeyer arrives with his magical gifts.
Uncle Drosselmeyer presides over a puppet show, foreshadowing the events of the Nutcracker ballet, and then produces a large bag of Christmas gifts for all the children. All are very happy, except Clara, who has yet to be presented with a gift. Uncle Drosselmeyer summons super-sized Matrushka Doll which unveils the wild Moor Dolls for all to enjoy in wonderment. He then introduces the life-sized Kissy Doll and Harlequin. The festivities continue with the adults dancing stately Russian Court dances. Clara approaches Uncle Drosselmeyer asking for her Christmas gift and he presents a beautiful and life-sized toy Nutcracker. Clara is overjoyed, but brother Fritz is jealous, and breaks the Nutcracker Doll! The party soon ends, guests make their way home sleepily and Clara falls asleep.
While the family is sleeping, Uncle Drosselmeyer repairs the Nutcracker Doll and as the clock strikes midnight, Clara hears the sound of mice scurrying. Perhaps Clara is dreaming? The Christmas tree suddenly begins to grow to enormous size, and the Nutcracker Doll comes to life. He rises to defend Clara against the Mouse King who leads a battle.
A conflict ensues, Mice versus Soldiers. When Clara helps the Nutcracker Doll by throwing her shoe at the Rat King, the Nutcracker seizes his opportunity to defeat him. The mice retreat, taking their wounded leader with them. The Nutcracker is then transformed into a handsome Nutcracker Prince! Clara and Nutcracker Prince travel to the Snow Forrest where traditional Russian folk figures, Ded Moroz (Father Christmas) and Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) welcome Clara and her Nutcracker Prince escorting them to the Land of Peace and Harmony.
Talmi Entertainment presents NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet Act II - "Land of Peace and Harmony"
In NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet Clara and the Nutcracker Prince arrive in the “Land of Peace and Harmony” where all creatures, animal and human, live in accord with each other. Talmi Entertainment's exclusive “Dove of Peace” in which 2 dancers balance and leverage each other to form a soaring bird with a 20 foot wingspan.
In the Land of Peace and Harmony, the Herald, who reigns as the spirit of the forest, accompanied by members of his court (who bear a distinct resemblance to Masha’s dolls!) appear from around the world to welcome and honor Clara and her Prince on this peaceful Christmas night. Spanish, Chinese, Arabian, Russian, and French couples demonstrate the great dances and spirit of their country’s heritages. The dancers are accompanied by 10 foot tall, playful puppets which are also symbolic of that country’s unique attributes. The Spaniard’s Bull represents the gift of daring, the Arabian Elephants bring the gift of wisdom, the Chinese Dragon brings the gift of playfulness, the Balalaika playing Russian Bear bestows strength on Clara and the French Unicorn imparts imagination.
The holiday Christmas celebration concludes with a lush Waltz of the Flowers featuring the full company. Clara and the Nutcracker Prince express their gratitude for the lovely evening by dancing a Grand Pas de Deux of their own….The night is over, Clara awakens to find herself back in her own bedroom with the beloved Nutcracker Doll by her side.
A Christmas Tradition in North America since 1993!
In 1993, Talmi Entertainment toured NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet to Washington DC, Baltimore, Syracuse, Orlando, Ft Lauderdale, New Haven, Reading and Charleston, WV for the first time and to critical acclaim. Directed and choreographed by Stanislav Vlasov, former soloist with the Bolshoi Ballet, and well known as a “Grand Dance Artist,” the inaugural six-week tour starred principal ballerina Lillia Sabitova. It also featured the innovative rolling backgrounds first created by a St Petersburg Conservatory of Music producer, and which were the inspiration for Eisenstein’s cinematic technique. Since then the annual tour has increased to include about 100 performances on the tour to cities from San Juan to Calgary, and from New York to California, traveling with two simultaneously touring companies of forty dancers each.
SWAN LAKE
Revered as the epitome of classical ballets, Swan Lake is a gripping tale of love, betrayal, and the triumph of good over evil. It is the haunting story of Odette, a young maiden bewitched by the evil sorcerer von Rothbart under whose spell young maidens are condemned to be swans by day and human only at night. Odette is the Swan Queen. She is the most beautiful and wears a magnificent, bejeweled crown. In order to break the spell, a young man must swear undying love to the Swan Queen.
If he is unfaithful, she and the swan maidens will be trapped forever. The Moscow Imperial Theater first performed Swan Lake in Moscow in 1877. Legendary composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was commissioned to write the score. After several revisions, the ballet attained critical success in 1894/95 when choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov produced it for the St. Petersburg Ballet.
ROMEO AND JULIET
Talmi Entertainment premiered Shakespeare’s classic love story in 2011 with all new choreography by Ballet Master Andrei Litvinov. Litvinov choreographed the new production drawing from his experiences dancing for legendary Yuri Grigorovich and modernist Radu Poklitaru.The production features all new opulent costumes designed by nationally renowned expert and Talmi Entertainment Resident Designer Arthur Oliver and hand-painted sets created in the style of the Italian Renaissance in one of St Petersburg’s oldest theatrical shops. The company of nearly 40 dancers are award-winning professionals, and the principals are acclaimed by press and public alike.
The story begins with feuding between the youth in the village square. Romeo Montague and friends then crash a party at the Capulet house where he meets Juliet Capulet and falls instantly in love with her. On the balcony at night’s end, the two proclaim their eternal love. Hoping to put an end to the family feud, Friar Lawrence secretly marries the couple. Later, Juliet’s cousin Tybalt kills Romeo’s friend Mercutio in a fight. A distraught Romeo kills Tybalt in a fit of revenge, and is sent into exile.
Juliet turns to Friar Lawrence for help and he devises a plan: Juliet is to drink a sleeping potion to make her appear dead. When she is buried in the family tomb, Friar Lawrence will tell Romeo the truth and he will rescue her. The news of Juliet’s death reaches Romeo, but not Friar Lawrence’ message. Believing Juliet dead, Romeo goes to her, drinks a poison and dies. When Juliet awakens, she sees her love dead and kills herself.
CINDERELLA
SLEEPING BEAUTY
Talmi Entertainment's The Sleeping Beauty is a stunning, colorful and charming re-telling of the classic fairy tale and love story. Choreographed specifically for the Talmi Entertainment production, this performance showcases the Russian dancers’ strength in leaps, beauty of the classic lines and charm in their telling of the story. The ballet features acclaimed and award-winning dancers in many of the parts; Princess Aurora, Prince Desire, the Blue Bird pas de deux, Little Red Riding Hood, the evil fairy Carabosse, and more. The dancing combined with the lavish costumes, sets made in the grand Russian theatrical style and Tchaikovsky’s beloved score offer a performance experience to be remembered and cherished.
The Sleeping Beauty is a ballet in a prologue and three acts, and was first performed in 1890. Pyotr Tchaikovsky completed the score in 1889 (Opus 66), and is the second of his three ballets. The choreographer of the original production was Marius Petipa and the premiere performance took place at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1890. The work is widely regarded as Tchaikovsky's finest ballet score, and has become one of the classical repertoire's most famous ballets.
French author Charles Perrault wrote the original fairy tale at the close of the 17th century. He is credited with creating many of the most traditional fairy tales, including Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots and Cinderella and selections from these famous Perrault tales are referenced in the last act of the ballet. Talmi Entertainment continues his tradition by including some of these whimsically charming characters in its production.
