GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker will return to the DeVos Performance Hall for 2022. The show will open on Friday, December 9.
The Nutcracker will be performed the weekend of December 9-11. It will also be performed the following weekend: December 16-18.
The Nutcracker was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. It features a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Grand Rapids Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker was reimagined in 2014 by Grand Rapids native Chris Van Allsburg. Allsburg is an author and illustrator, whose work includes 1981’s Jumanji, 1985’s The Polar Express, and 1991’s The Wretched Stone. His latest book, The Misadventures of Sweetie Pie, was published in 2014. Jumanji was adapted into a film in 1995, which starred Robin Williams. It was followed by 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level. The Polar Express was adapted into an animated film in 2004, which was directed by Robert Zemeckis and starred Tom Hanks.
The ballet will be performed by the Grand Rapids Ballet’s Company dancers, as well as more than 65 students from Grand Rapids Ballet School. The performance was choreographed by Val Caniparoli. The score will be performed live by the Grand Rapids Symphony, with vocals by Grand Valley State University’s Department of Music. The Grand Rapids Ballet performance also features sets designed by Eugene Lee. Lee previously won a Tony Award for 1998’s stage version of The Lion King. He also won a Tony for 2004’s Wicked.
On November 11, Grand Rapids Ballet will be hosting the Clara’s Nutcracker Party for kids at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Kids will be able to meet some of the characters from the ballet. There will also be arts and crafts activities, tea and brunch, a reading of The Nutcracker, and a live performance by the Grand Rapids Ballet School.
“We are always brimming with excitement around Nutcracker time!” said James Sofranko, artistic director at Grand Rapids Ballet. “This production is unique to Grand Rapids Ballet, and we are so fortunate to have had it created for us by a truly world-class artistic team. Not only is it a charming story for the whole family with fantastic music, but it is told through classical ballet with steps that must be performed precisely and push our company to new heights. Every year the dancers strive to outdo themselves during The Nutcracker, and I love seeing them create magic on the stage each and every night!”
“What’s amazing about The Nutcracker is it has something for the whole family and the young at heart,” said Caniparoli. “It’s part of the holiday tradition – from the beautiful dancing to the sets and music, everything involved is a treat for the senses.”
The Grand Rapids Ballet performance of The Nutcracker will open on Friday, December 9. Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster.
