DID YOU KNOW?

You may think you know The Nutcracker, but here's some trivia about what goes on behind-the-scenes of BalletMet's biggest production of the season.

• Number of new costumes made for the 2008 production: 40
• Number of buttons on the soldier costumes: 30 dozen
• Number of crystals and pearls strung on each Snowflake crown: 124
• Number of hours it takes to complete one Snowflake crown: 3-4
• Number of costumes in each performance of The Nutcracker: 130
  
• Number of performers in each performance of The Nutcracker: 90
  
• Number of pointe shoes used by all dancers en pointe: 330 pairs
  
• Sugar Plum Fairy costume, by the numbers: 133 flowers, 20 stars, 361 gems and 10 layers of tulle
  
• Number of ribbon petals on the new Waltz of the Flowers bodices and headpieces: 1500
• Number of Duff sisters who made their stage debut in a BalletMet Nutcracker production: 2, Hilary and Haley

THE NUTCRACKER COSTUME FACTS
*Interview with Costume Shop Manager conducted by Nicole Morton, 2006 Education Intern

Construction of costumes for The Nutcracker begins at least four weeks prior to the performances. Costume staff gathers some costumes from the stock of previous years, but costumes are restored and rebuilt every few years. The Sugar Plum Fairy costume takes the longest to make at 75 hours, not counting the headdress. And there are three different sizes of the Sugar Plum Fairy made, so in total it takes about 225 hours!

Each costume requires 3 spools of thread, with each spool containing 275 yards. There are 130 costumes on the stage each performance, so there are 107,250 yards of thread used! The amount of fabric used is at least twice the amount of thread. A total of 125 yards of tulle are used to make all the tutus for The Nutcracker.

Each year, the costume staff fits over 200 children for costumes. Each child gets a costume made just for them, no matter how many roles they play. Extra costumes are made only for fit purposes, which means repairs must be made on at least 3 and as much as 12 costumes every single performance! Usually stain treatments are required on at least 2 costumes each performance. Once during a performance, the dancer who was performing the Sugar Plum Cavalier scraped his knee during the show and bled on his white tights. So he went over to our Wardrobe Supervisor for help. She told him to spit on the stain and it would go away. He did not believe her! He tried and it worked! There is something about the mixture of enzymes in a person's saliva that breaks down their own blood. It will only work if the person who bled uses their spit. YUCK!

These resources are geared towards students in grades K-5 and can be found at the public library or purchased at a bookstore.

Nutcracker Books

Baryshnikov’s Nutcracker. Klein, Norma. Pictures from the stage production.
Christmas Fairy Tales.  Viking. 1996.
Rosie’s Nutcracker Dreams. Giff, Patricia Reilly. Viking, 1996.
The Nutcracker and the King of Mice by E.T.A. Hoffman. Creative Editions/Harcourt Brace, 1996. This is the original story.
The Nutcracker. By E.T.A. Hoffman, as told by Maurice Sendak. Crown. 2001.
The Harlem Nutcracker. Kuklin, Susan. A book based on the jazz ballet by choreographer Donald Byrd set to Duke Ellington’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker Ballet. Anderson, Jack. A history of the ballet and a review of its evolution. (150 pictures included).
The Nutcracker. Newman, Barbara. A complete history of the ballet, the music and its evolution.

Nutcracker Videos

Videotapes and/or DVDs are good pre-performance activities.  Teachers should preview the materials before showing to students and select excerpts that are suitable.

Baryshnikov's The Nutcracker, American Ballet Theatre, 1977, Choreography by Mikhail Baryshnikov with Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland dancing. (78 minutes).
George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. New York City Ballet, 1993, Choreography by George Balanchine with actor Macauley Culkin and NYC Ballet dancers Darci Kistler and Damien Woetzel. (93 minutes).
The Hard Nut. 1991, Choreography by Mark Morris is a contemporary twist on the traditional story and is set in the.1960's (90 minutes). Suitable for older students who may have already seen the traditional Nutcracker Ballet.
The Nutcracker. Kultur, 1984. (90 minutes).

THE NUTCRACKER COSTUME FACTS
*Interview with Costume Shop Manager conducted by Nicole Morton, 2006 Education Intern

Construction of costumes for The Nutcracker begins at least four weeks prior to the performances.  Costume staff gathers some costumes from the stock of previous years, but costumes are restored and rebuilt every few years. The Sugar Plum Fairy costume takes the longest to make at 75 hours, not counting the headdress. And there are three different sizes of the Sugar Plum Fairy made, so in total it takes about 225 hours! 

Each costume requires 3 spools of thread, with each spool containing 275 yards. There are 130 costumes on the stage each performance, so there are 107,250 yards of thread used! The amount of fabric used is at least twice the amount of thread. A total of 125 yards of tulle are used to make all the tutus for The Nutcracker. 

Each year, the costume staff fits over 200 children for costumes. Each child gets a costume made just for them, no matter how many roles they play. Extra costumes are made only for fit purposes, which means repairs must be made on at least 3 and as much as 12 costumes every single performance!  Usually stain treatments are required on at least 2 costumes each performance. Once during a performance, the dancer who was performing the Sugar Plum Cavalier scraped his knee during the show and bled on his white tights. So he went over to our Wardrobe Supervisor for help. She told him to spit on the stain and it would go away. He did not believe her! He tried and it worked! There is something about the mixture of enzymes in a person’s saliva that breaks down their own blood.  It will only work if the person who bled uses their spit. YUCK!

These resources are geared towards students in grades K-5 and can be found at the public library or purchased at a bookstore.

Nutcracker Books

Baryshnikov's Nutcracker. Klein, Norma. Pictures from the stage production.
Christmas Fairy Tales.  Viking. 1996.
Rosie’s Nutcracker Dreams. Giff, Patricia Reilly. Viking, 1996.
TheNutcracker and the King of Mice by E.T.A. Hoffman. Creative Editions/Harcourt Brace, 1996. This is the original story.
The Nutcracker. By E.T.A. Hoffman, as told by Maurice Sendak. Crown. 2001.
The Harlem Nutcracker. Kuklin, Susan. A book based on the jazz ballet by choreographer Donald Byrd set to Duke Ellington’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker Ballet. Anderson, Jack. A history of the ballet and a review of its evolution. (150 pictures included).
The Nutcracker. Newman, Barbara. A complete history of the ballet, the music and its evolution.

Baryshnikov’s The Nutcracker, American Ballet Theatre, 1977, Choreography by Mikhail Baryshnikov with Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland dancing. (78 minutes).
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. New York City Ballet, 1993, Choreography by George Balanchine with actor Macauley Culkin and NYC Ballet dancers Darci Kistler and Damien Woetzel. (93 minutes).
The Hard Nut. 1991, Choreography by Mark Morris is a contemporary twist on the traditional story and is set in the.1960’s (90 minutes). Suitable for older students who may have already seen the traditional Nutcracker Ballet.
The Nutcracker. Kultur, 1984. (90 minutes).