The Nutcracker | A fabulous adventure where dreams come true and magic becomes real
The Nutcracker by Fernand Nault, a treasured production of Les Grands Ballets, will run from December 9 to December 30 at Montreal’s Place des Arts.
The moment has come for the young (and not so young!) to rediscover this enchanted dance that was based on Hoffman’s well-known story. Since 1964, Les Grands Ballets has brought together more than a hundred dancers to perform this Christmas delight for the general public. The music of Tchaikovsky’s composition, as performed by Les Grands Ballets Orchestra under the direction of Dmitri Zrajevski and Airat Ichmouratov, brings Fernand Nault’s choreography to life.
The production will be performed in its entirety with the children taking the stage for the first act, featuring the well-known Christmas moment where Clara receives her nutcracker, after a two-year absence.
Over 2 million people have been captivated by Clara’s vibrant exploits in the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets over the course of five decades.
The Nutcracker in a nutshell
- The show with the longest run in the same venue across Canada
- 165 characters on stage;
- More than 300 people are directly involved in the production;
- More than 350 costumes.
Share the Nutcracker magic
Every audience member who purchases a ticket to see The Nutcracker ballet is contributing to a worthwhile cause as $2 from each sale goes to The Nutcracker Fund for Children. This year, The Nutcracker with the orchestra is presented to 2,800 kids for free, including 1,400 kids from underprivileged families and 1,400 kids who are ill. Among them, 1,400 kids will participate in workshops held in classrooms and sponsored by Une école montréalaise pour tous, a project of the Quebec Ministry of Education.
Additional workshops are planned by a number of foundations, such as Le Phare, where the dancers will visit children in hospitals alongside Ivan Cavallari, the company’s creative director.
The fund also supports the show’s production such as the refurbishing of the sets and costumes. To donate and share and share the magic of the Nutcracker click here.
About les Grands Ballets
A creation and production company, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens is devoted to the development of dance in all its forms, building on the discipline of classical ballet.
Under the artistic direction of Ivan Cavallari, some fifty Canadian and international dancers accompanied by Les Grands Ballets Orchestra – bring the great classics of ballet to the stage, as well as the creations and repertoire of established and emerging contemporary artists. Located in the heart of Montréal’s Quartier des spectacles, Les Grands Ballets is wholly committed to give to as many people as possible access to dance, whether through the Nutcracker Fund for Children, leisure activities in the Grands Ballets STUDIOS or with the National Centre for Dance Therapy (NCDT), which is devoted to greater wellbeing through the benefits of dance.
Through the excellence of its productions and the scope of its cultural and social actions, the company seeks to inspire discovery and conjure emotions, stimulate the imagination, convey a passion for dance and create a lasting impact.
Missed on of the last Grand Ballets performances? Here is a good read on one of its last theatrical tragic love stories Romeo & Juliet that took the stage in the Spring of 2022.
