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28 April 2009 to 18 May 2009  SYDNEY Having opened at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday 28th April, and running until Monday 18th May, Graeme Murphy's essentially Australian Nutcracker makes a long-awaited return to the stage.
Having been described by the Sunday Herald Sun as “A delectable treat for the mind as well as the senses.” it will be performed by the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra.The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky is one of the best known and widely loved of all ballets. However in 1992 Graeme Murphy, one of Australia’s greatest choreographers and a master storyteller, created a brand new interpretation of the tale which gave new life to the classic Russian ballet and took the audience deeper into the story of Clara. This Ballet ”Nutcracker – the Story of Clara” has gone on to become an Australian classic, and after a nine year absence from the stage has finally returned to provide a visual feast for the whole family. Playing the role of Clara will be Marilyn Jones, the former artistic director of the Australian Ballet, as well as Ai-Gul Gaisina.
Set in the 1950’s Murphy’s Nutcracker concerns an ageing former ballerina in Melbourne recalling her life performing around the world and as such is a fascinating counterpart to the traditional setting. Clara, the central character, is no longer a child, but a frail former ballerina. On a sweltering Christmas Eve, in a night filled with feverish dreams, Clara relives her rich and eventful life. The story steps back to her time with the Imperial Ballet, the beginning of her career. Clara leaves Russia at the time of the 1917 Revolution and then dances through Asia, the Middle East and Spain before finally arriving in Australia as a glamorous star of the Ballets Russes. The Ballet Russes, presented in Australia by Colonel Wassily de Basil, revitalised the art form of ballet in Australia and had a profound effect on the Australian cultural life. Not only were Australians of all backgrounds captivated by the artists, but the dancers went away with fond memories of Australia and its people. Some of the dancers chose to remain here and thus The Australian Ballet is now able to trace a direct link to the Ballet Russes. In the first act we see the aging Clara struggling home with the few meagre provisions that she can afford, and a small Christmas tree to put on the table. The music of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite plays on the radio and fills Clara with nostalgia. Clara’s Russian friends come on their annual visit to the goddess of their youth. Clara’s young doctor also visits, bringing with him an old film of the young Clara dancing with the Russian Imperial Ballet. Filled with memories Clara attempts to dance, but in her weakened state, her doctor becomes worried and asks the guest to leave whilst he keeps vigil with her. In her troubled dreams Clara encounters herself as a child terrified by the shadows of the night. At the stroke of midnight Clara witnesses the death of the man she loved and becomes caught in the chaos of the Russian Revolution. The two lovers re-affirm their eternal passion. In the second act we see Clara striving for perfection at the Imperial Conservatoire, where after years of training she graduates and is accepted into the ranks of the Imperial Ballet. Clara falls in love with a young officer, is presented to the Tsar and Tsarina and makes her debut as the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker. At the height of her joyous existence the Russian Revolution breaks out. Clara’s beloved must go to war, and his death shatters Clara’s world. Dance becomes her life and so she leaves the Imperial Ballet and joins Sergey Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes. Over the years she tours the world, encountering the exotic rituals of the Orient in China, witnessing the secret and languid life of the Harem in the Middle East and re-igniting the passion of the heated beat of the flamenco in Spain. Finally in 1940 she arrives in Australia as a glamorous star with the Ballet Russes, and with the World War raging she is forced to remain here. At the end of the war she dances her farewell performance with the newly established Borovanshy Ballet. As the adoring audience applauds her, her advancing age speedily reclaims her and the hallucinations fade into darkness. Now Clara’s past and present are complete and her dream is now eternal. Clara’s journey echoes that of many of the dancers of the Ballets Russes who toured Australia in the late 1930’s. These dancers enamoured audiences around the country and helped establish ballet in Australia through their performances. As the Australian says , this story gives “A new twist on old magic” This ballet retains the luscious dancing, stunning score and wonderful sense of escapism that makes it such a favourite of children and adults alike, and yet manages to unlock far deeper emotions in us than the traditional Nutcracker. At the same time it celebrates the strong ties between Russian and Australian ballet Nutcracker – the story of Clara was conceived by author Graeme Murphy and designer Kristian Fredrikson. As the Sydney Morning Herald says “Tchaikovsky’s music provides the backdrop for a story that remains true to most of the original elements, yet Australian to the core.” Performances are held daily, except Sundays, with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Australian Ballet is currently enjoying a four year celebration of the impact and legacy of the visits to Australia by the Ballet Russes in 1936 and 1940. This will culminate in 2009, the centenary of the founding of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes in Paris. What better final confirmation of the existence of the Ballet Russes in Australia than Graeme Murphy’s Nutcracker – the story of Clara? The story told through the eyes of a long retired Russian ballerina who settled in Australia after the Ballet Russes left our antipodean shores. For more information: www.australianballet.com.au Bookmark us: 
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