How does ABT's Clara "Shrink to Mouse Size"?
Hey guys!
Last Sunday and Monday, I had the opportunity to perform in Works & Process at the Guggenheim Museum. It was so much fun! Before the performance, there was a company class with ABT that I got to take–and wow, the company dancers are soooo good. It was amazing to be in the same class with them.
After we’d warmed up, it was showtime. I performed the Snow scene and my friend Mikela (one of the other Claras) performed the end of the Battle scene from the new Nutcracker. Then company members danced the Spanish and Russian dances , and Marcelo Gomes and Veronika Part performed the Sugar Plum pas de deux. It was so fantastic that I wanted to cry and scream at the same time. I can’t wait to see the whole ballet put together, and to watch all of the casts do the pas de deux!
I’ve also been able to peek at a lot of the costumes. They’re beautiful! All the party scene stuff looks like it’s from the very early 1800s. And the mice costumes are so mean and evil: They’re this dirty white color with pink eyes, ears, noses and tails. The Mouse King has seven heads and seven tails!
They’ve showed us the layouts of the scenery, too. I especially love the party scene. To make it look like I shrink to “mouse size,” they make the whole room HUGE. At one point, I have to sit on top of a 20-foot chair–which started out smaller than me! I throw my shoe at the Mouse King from this huge chair!
Read the other guest blog posts by JKO School student Catherine Hurlin, who’s rehearsing the role of Clara for ABT’s new
Nutcracker, here and here.
