The Nutcracker premiered at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 18, 1892. Though the production – with music by Peter Tchaikovsky and choreograpy by Marius Petipa – opened to less than stellar reviews, it would eventually find firm footing and become entrenched as THE Christmas ballet staged by dance companies all over the world and enjoyed by audiences wanting to indulge in seasonal enchantment.

“Ask any ballet dancer about the holidays, and the most immediate thought likely to pop in our heads is The Nutcracker!” enthuses Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. “This quintessential Christmas ballet celebrates the magic of the season like no other. A nutcracker that comes to life, toy soldiers, an army of rats, dancing snowflakes, a sugar plum fairy and many other colorful characters all come together on Christmas Eve to transport the audience to a world of fantasy and wonder. To perform this for a Christmas crowd is always a delight!”

The prima ballerina herself has had a long history with The Nutcracker starting when she was a student in Russia, first dancing as a Snowflake in the Leningrad Choreographic Institute’s annual production of the full-length ballet in 1982 and then making her debut as Masha in 1984. With Ballet Manila, she headlined the company’s first full-length staging of the The Nutcracker in 1998 and performed as the Sugar Plum Fairy numerous times since. When she bid farewell to the Christmas ballet as part of her Swan Song Series in 2013, it was made more special by her daughter Missy dancing the role of Masha.

But even in retirement, The Nutcracker has remained an indelible part of Macuja-Elizalde’s life. Moreso this year when it has turned out to be a special Nutcracker season for Ballet Manila and the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet, comprised of performances in Taoyuan in Taiwan, and in Manila and in Baguio in the Philippines.

Here’s a look at those three shows!

Taoyuan

On November 26, a Ballet Manila delegation composed of principal dancers Abigail Oliveiro, Mark Sumaylo, Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Joshua Enciso, and company artists Rodney Catubay, Alvin Dictado and Noah Esplana were guest artists at the 2023 Taoyuan Iron Rose Art Festival’s Nutcracker presentation at the Taoyuan Arts Center.

Artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and husband, Ballet Manila patron Fred J. Elizalde, came to watch the show especially since the former had significant inputs for the show’s staging and choreography in collaboration with Zhongli Youth Ballet.

“After eight months of work mostly via video and Zoom, it finally happened! And I couldn’t be happier and more proud of the outcome! Thank you! I can’t say this enough. Thank you,” she wrote in a Facebook post that day. Later, she shared that the joint effort showed what is possible and with The Nutcracker’s success – said to be a first in Taiwan – plans are already being discussed for a follow-up production.

Photos courtesy of Maggie Chen and Lisa Macuja-Elizalde

Manila

For its annual yearend student showcase, the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet staged The Nutcracker: Clara’s Journey on December 9 at Aliw Theater. Featuring Macuja-Elizalde’s version, it follows the story of Clara as she goes on an adventure like no other. After receiving the Nutcracker doll that turns into a Prince (Sean Pelegrin), she gets to visit the land of sweets and meet the Sugar Plum Fairy (Jessica Pearl Dames) and watch an assortment of dances representing Spain, China, Arabia and Russia – performed by students in the various levels and classes of the school.

“Every year we revisit The Nutcracker, and every year I say THANK YOU! We could never achieve so much without a solid team both in the school and the company!”

It was a treasured moment for Pelegrin and Dames as they were taking on these lead classical roles for the first time. But it turned out even more special for Pelegrin when his promotion to Ballet Manila soloist was announced at the end of the show.

Photos by Giselle P. Kasilag

Baguio

Sean Pelegrin and Jessica Pearl Dames reprised the grand pas de deux they had performed in The Nutcracker: Clara’s Journey as guest artists in Ballet Baguio’s own adaptation of the Christmas ballet. Dubbed as The Majestic Nutcracker, the show was also the last of three productions marking the Baguio school’s 20th anniversary this year. It was held on December 17 at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center.

Ballet Baguio artistic director Jacqueline Go-Ramon notes that The Majestic Nutcracker is a modernized version of the original. “It is custom-fit for the school, while keeping most traditional dances, as well as the original storyline, intact.” She served as the show’s overall director and choreographer.