Party Scene 🎄 Ballet DECONSTRUCTED | Balanchine's Nutcracker | New York City Ballet | Kathryn Morgan

[@jenniferjean1993]

The children in The Nutcracker deserve awards because the acting they do is just incredible

[@mariakuroshchepova9696]

Yes! So much pressure!

[@Teverell]

I'm only a few minutes in but I just wanted to pop in and say that adults dancing with kids is absolutely historically accurate - as with everything at these parties from the greetings to everything else, it's part of teaching the kids how to act in social situations. I believe you see it onscreen in the 1995 Persuasion, and I think briefly in the 1995 miniseries adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, both based on Jane Austen's novels - and of course her novels were set in the period she lived, they weren't historical fiction. She also mentions it in her letters (highly recommend you get hold of a copy of her letters if you can, I believe there have been several publications of them).

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yes! I love this!

[@pheart2381]

All children,except the poorest,had dancing lessons. They all knew how to dance and move gracefully at a young age.

[@bethanneblack]

Katie, this commentary has been so informative! It’s so interesting to hear the stories and rationale behind each part of the party scene (for example, showing only one side of the gift boxes!). Thanks again for this narrative, it was so fun to hear all the details. I think the kids do an amazing job handling so much choreography and acting! 🩰

[@ladykarolyn1]

In this time period, mechanical technology had gotten to a point where clockwork toys could do movements that people hadn't seen before. It might not look as lifelike to our modern eyes, but to people in the midst of the industrial revolution, it was so lifelike you almost wondered if it was magic. And that's how toymakers started to be portrayed in their pop culture at the time, a mixture of magic and science. That's where Drosselmeyer fits in, or the somewhat less likable Dr. Coppelius.

[@kathryn_morgan]

YES. I love this. Makes so much sense! Thank you for posting that!

[@JackieOstick]

Yay!!! I love this series so much!!!! Can we do the pas? Basically the whole ballet?! haha

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yes! I will do Sugarplum PDD next!

[@morgasaurusrex]

Seconded!! My 2nd grader is watching the Nutcracker in music class, so we’ve had a lot of fun learning about it after school lately.

[@nimuenorth6295]

Speaking of tying acts 1 & 2 together: The Royal Ballett has a cake at the party that is a tiny version of the set in act 2. I love that detail!

[@RavenGent]

This is one of my favorite scenes in the Nutcracker. As my tradition each year, I see the Nutcracker twice and the party scene is my favorite since it's set in the Victorian era, my favorite period. I even dress up when I go see the performance 🎀🎩

[@TomTom53421]

30:00, just to chime in, the grandfather dance in particular was often used to signify the end of a party, originally a wedding. It was often quoted by Schumann in some of his piano pieces that had to do with masked balls such as his Papillons and Carnaval where the theme appeared at the end of each suite.

[@moondustangel889]

I love this series so much. Learning about the behind the scenes it's just wonderful. Thank you so much 😊

[@kathryn_morgan]

I’m so glad! Thank you!

[@Dances_in_the_kitchen]

I love the nostalgia ❤ It reminds me of how when I was a kid, my grandmother used to decorate the tree on Christmas eve together with my mother and father and we kids were not allowed to enter the living room until everyone came back from church and it was time to open the presents…. Magical memories 😊🎄🌟 🎁

[@thebookwyrmslair6757]

I love the differences between different companies! Denver starts party scene with servants finishing up, Clara & Fritz making a mistake of themselves, then guests coming across the stage in family groups. Lots of sweet humor. We just saw Toronto, and they set the whole ballet in 19th century Russia, so it's a barn dance with the stable boy becoming the Nutcracker / Prince. I missed the toys, as those dances were shifted to a Cossack dance, but it was fascinating to see the different stories the same music tells. ❤

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yes! Everyone’s different versions are fascinating!

[@JackieOstick]

I'm going on Tuesday evening to see NYCB and now I can't wait to watch with all these insights!

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yay! Enjoy!!!!

[@mojovr5003]

I just said "YAY" out loud as I saw this upload :))

[@kathryn_morgan]

I love it! ❤️

[@lwoods1940]

Haha same

[@Campanula.rapunculus]

Me too! 😂❤

[@lalalalala9451]

same!

[@bleeka325]

Same and 37 minutes !

[@lwoods1940]

I love this series so much. You are so insightful and radiate positivity. Thank you.

[@kathryn_morgan]

Thank you so much!

[@ElizabethFailure]

this makeup SLAYED!!!

[@carolineanzaldua7457]

Katie, so happy to have so many uploads from you lately. I’ve missed you so much. ❤️

[@kathryn_morgan]

Awww thank you so much!

[@miss-petrolea]

Absolutely loved seeing the Nutcracker season in En Pointe (I was very disappointed when they took it off Disney+, and had hoped it'd be back on this season but a least in my area it isn't), it's amazing how they manage to herd these young kids into performing so well. And the discipline, drive and ambition these kids show at such a young age is amazing, as well!

[@user-el2nh5uo1w]

I feel silly, I honestly thought the dancers were in the boxes the entire time. I’m a ninny. Another great breakdown, I see no reason to stop. Hint hint. One of the things I noticed in the On Pointe series was the professional dancers’ reaction to meeting the littles was almost as strong as the littles meeting the pros. They really take the responsibility of encouraging the children seriously.

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yes- so true! ❤️

[@junnnerrr]

This was so helpful because it’s my first time as a party parent this year!!! Thank you ❤

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yay! Have an amazing time!

[@allieomallycat]

Would you maybe consider doing a Nutcracker themed ballet barre class video? I’d absolutely LOVE to follow along!! 💛

[@lvcarlton]

Please do battle scene! We have been learning about the nutcracker in my music classes and a 2nd grader commented it was like watching WWE in that scene, lol. The one we watched had an older clara so not sure which one it was, but they enjoyed it.

[@cgreenspan3253]

Just discovered your series and love it so much!! Thank you!

[@juliamarie6385]

I'd love to see battle scene or candycane next!! I love these videos

[@RomeoNJulietLostTheGame]

Thank you for breaking this down, I always had a hard fully grasping what was happing in the scene, even when I was in my local Nutcracker 😂❤❤❤

[@jenniferbersaglia5386]

Such a fun video to see behind the Magic!

[@sarah-janelambert8962]

I'm used to The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet's production choreographed by Sir Peter Wright. It's quite different, even in this opening act.

[@J_KC305]

I can't wait to watch this deconstruction☺️ I literally just did the party scene last week on Saturday, we danced to like the very first song of the overture, it was just a nice ballet recital, it was my first ever ballet recital actually. I just joined the academy a few months ago after the summer. Everything went well, we had some technical difficulties with the music but it didn't throw us off and we managed to keep going. It was so much fun, I'm glad for myself with how far I've come with ballet since last year. Your videos have really helped me a lot Kathryn🫂💖🌷

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yay! That makes me so happy!

[@DancingFlicka]

I think we need you to do every scene in Nutcracker!!

[@kathryn_morgan]

❤️❤️❤️

[@user-qo5yc8zj3q]

Can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying this! Thank you! As a former ballerina it is soothing to my soul!!

[@margaretanncarno4014]

Thank you for doing all of these videos ❤

[@wendychampness1901]

Thank you Kathryn🙏 I love your “deconstructions”❤

[@kathryn_morgan]

Thank you!

[@jadedixon3641]

Love the party scene deconstruction and all of the other Nutcracker deconstructions as well! Though I have to admit, party scene is hard for me to watch. When I figure skated in my teens, my rink did Nutcracker on Ice twice, and I always did party scene. I wish we had this deconstruction to watch back then so we had a better idea of the characters we were playing, since we didn't get much direction from our show director and choreographer... All I remember about Nutcracker on Ice was the rink politics and how horribly organized the whole production was. The second time I did it I nearly quit skating it was such a nightmare.

[@kathryn_morgan]

I can understand that! That’s hard to deal with! ❤️

[@beatrixflynn5126]

I remember reading A Very Young Dancer as a kid and just being obsessed with what it would be like to be Marie in this production. Its amazing how 50 years later it looks exactly the same

[@kathryn_morgan]

YES. Oh my goodness I LOVED that book. Wore it out!

[@jadedixon3641]

One of the few happy memories I have about skating in Nutcracker on Ice was when the Nutcracker was unintentionally broken during the dress rehearsal. 😬 I was one of the adult party guests that year, so I was on the ice for that scene. The skaters playing Clara and Fritz chased each other around and then got into a tug of war over the Nutcracker and then dropped it on the ice and its head popped off. Both skaters stared at each other for a moment with their jaws dropped before Clara turned to start crying and Fritz's dad came and took him away and Drosselmeyer came over to fix the Nutcracker and give it back to Clara. Everyone played it so well I didn't even know that dropping the Nutcracker and having the head pop off was not part of the plan, as this was the first time doing a full runthrough of the entire show with all of the skaters and the props. After the rehearsal I talked to the girl who was skating the part of Clara and she said that they weren't supposed to drop the Nutcracker. Fritz was supposed to win the tug of war and end up with the Nutcracker doll, and Clara would start crying and the dad and Drosselmeyer would come over to discipline Fritz and take the Nutcracker and give it back to Clara. She said that when the head popped off the skater playing Drosselmyer came over and was cussing under his breath trying to put the head back on. He managed to get the head back on and everyone was very careful with the Nutcracker for both performances!

[@mariannestoffers5067]

Yes, it's sure, this little Nutcracker giant mouth full of big nuts falls out of his neck. How d'you managed on ice doing that scene? I would think that it must be a very long to-fro, because on the ice in a 3 line area, there must be silent moments on ice - the light breaker's different than from box on stage, isn't it (that's were I thought). How well you managed - do same thing with the stick horse (just kidding). Good well and go on knightly. 😂🎉

[@zyxw2000]

The Victorian setting is interesting. I watched the Marinsky version yesterday, and they set it in the mid-18th Century. The ballet has so much room for interpretation.

[@kristiLB93]

I can't wait to show this to my daughter! She's in the party scene with her dance school (your dance partner Sean Rollofson is our Snow King/Cavalier this year!) She LOVES the NYCB production. It's such a great example for young dancers to watch for its theatricality. Another one to watch and analyze for the acting and brilliant dancing is the Baryshnikov version.

[@Julie2116-v6f]

Who says that Friday 13th is supposed to be unlucky ? It was amaizing day with nutcracker. Just love it. Thank you katrheyn ❤. Ps videos are so are so helpful !!

[@kathryn_morgan]

Thank you!

[@mermaidopulence8539]

Omg I remember being in the party scene for the first time when I was younger and it was so much fun. Usually the kids in the party scene are between levels 3-5 so I wasn't able to do it my first years. I was a mouse, angel and soldier until I was old enough to be in the party scene. When I got older I wanted Clara but that role was for the Senior students and I was a Junior but I got understudy which was fun because there were times I got to be Clara. After high school I didn't choose to continue with ballet but several years later l decided to come back to the ballet scene at a ballet studio in my hometown. I've been dancing at this studio for almost 4yrs now and been in several of their productions including the Nutcracker every year, and returning to the place where it all started and being in the party scene.

[@jendesimone9053]

Aw. The students in the adult classes were invited to participate in the holiday showcase at the studio I take class. They will be in party scene and waltz of the flowers so your recent videos have been very interesting. I’m not participating this year but maybe I will next year, if they invite the adults again. As you know, performing isn’t really my thing. :-)

[@kathryn_morgan]

That’s lovely! And yes- not everyone loves performing, and that’s totally fine! ❤️

[@TheHappeningswithHAP]

Love these production insights. Please upload the battle scene!

[@kathryn_morgan]

I will add it to the list! ❤️

[@juliad.4990]

Please do Battle scene at some point! I would love to hear your explanation of the battle and all the pantomime. So enjoying this series!

[@wendychampness1901]

You had recently posted that you would like to do Ballet Commentary going forward. In my opinion, you would be fantastic at that ❤

[@kathryn_morgan]

Thank you! I would love it!

[@charlottec5802]

I'm really enjoying your "ballet deconstructed" videos! When I first saw Nutcracker a few years ago, I had no idea what was going on and didn't appreciate how good it was. Through your videos I'm learning so much and can see the magic of it now! Random other point - whilst I have (sadly 😢) never done ballet, I do a lot of historical dance and the dance at the end looks to me like what I know as a Polonaise. Is that right?

[@Jamie-ks1wm]

As a 30-something-year-old who has been taking classes for two years now, I have been a party parent three times now. The ballet company lets the adult students play party parents. The CI Ballet puts their advanced teen students in the party scene with the children. The teens do a lot of ballet as do Drosellmeyer's dolls.

[@neko-chan6145]

Great series

[@christindicker1550]

Fascinating! Thanks so much. Are you ever going to do a nutcracker themed class???

[@thehomeschoolinglibrarian]

So Bellet Arizona has the dolls in fancy glass like boxes that are wheeled on stage. Also the grandparents especially the grandfather are comedic. I do love the children especially since of all the ballets this is often the first ballet children will see and making it relatable is important.

[@sofia2222]

I never got to be a party girl, I was too tall but I was so jealous of the beautiful dresses!

[@Chocobo0Scribe]

I used to have the VHS of the New York ballet, it had Macaulay Culkin as the prince and a narrator. I femme r that in that one drosselmeyer stood in front of the boxes the dolls came out of holding his coat out to hide the holes in the back of the boxes.

[@Emthe30something]

Now living 2 hrs from NYC, boy am I getting the itch to go see NYCB Nutcracker this season!!

[@kathryn_morgan]

I understand! ❤️

[@Emthe30something]

​@@kathryn_morganthanks for igniting my passion for it

[@thebookwyrmslair6757]

GO!!!! We go every year, no matter what city we're in, and it's always fabulous. I saw Mexican folklorico added in San Antonio, a Chinese dragon for the tea dance in Denver, and so many local touches. If you don't feel like hauling all the way to NYC, check out what your local town or city are doing. ❤

[@tiamarrow6366]

Me personally as a dancer, and a love of dance history…..I love The Nutcracker but more specifically the one performed in St.Petersburg Russia at the Mariinsky theater a couple of years ago. The way they did it for that specific performance is what I’m used to watching especially with the Act 1….it started with 1-2 men going into the house, the party is already happening and then the kids come in. So for me, whenever I see other companies perform the Nutcracker I base those performances off of that one performance from a few years ago. Of course every ballet company will perform the Nutcracker differently but sometimes it’s nice to see something so timeless and classical, keep some of those elements. Like with the Sugar Plum Fairy….I find that at least in Russia, the women who perform that dances do it on time but slowly so it doesn’t feel rushed whereas with other companies it feels rushed and almost “mechanical” with some of the movements…..even the costumes weren’t really giving off “Sugar Plum Fairy” but a super toned down version. I just feel like for certain parts, and costumes….sometimes it’s best to stick with how they were originally and traditionally done.

[@spookylilqueer]

SO exciting to see these popping up each time! I only did a community nutcracker when I was little, but I remember my times as mouse, angel, soldier, party boy, and snowflake (not on pointe!) with a lot of magic and wonder. thank you these are SO fun!!

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yes, so magical! ❤️

[@AJShiningThreads]

Do the full ballet!!!❤❤❤😊

[@Caroline-jt6ez]

The teen girl in the party scene is Sophie Hod, the younger sister of Ashley Hod (soloist). Sophie is now with Kansas City Ballet. Brooks Landegger (Fritz) is now in Miami CB, his sister Liesl is the little blonde girl in the maroon dress.

[@kathryn_morgan]

Amazing! Thank you for this! ❤️

[@cf8595]

The real award should go to the teenagers! What a bummer job! "We're just here for realism."

[@margaretanncarno4014]

I feel so dumb, I never realize there were different versions of the actually ballet ( I always thought it was a set dance ). Love seeing a different version

[@rastar154]

If you do battle scene?? Please make that when. I love your commentary on everything!

[@JackieOstick]

The kids are so amazing.

[@kathryn_morgan]

Agreed!

[@hannawithoutthe_h]

Katie have you heard of the “Soft Winter” colour season? It’s part of the 16 season system, I think you might fit there or maybe between there and your current Soft Summer because of your amount of contrast between your hair and face. Maybe check it out!

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yes! That actually makes a lot of sense to me! Thank you!

[@Vale-kg3vd]

Those kids are adorable and so good

[@Amanda-hx9uy]

I can’t unsee the teenagers now 😂happened to them during the grandparents dance I don’t see them.

[@kathryn_morgan]

You know… I’m not sure! I think they may leave during it but I can’t remember!

[@thebookwyrmslair6757]

I'd love if you could reach out to one of your friends who was featured in the folk you're using to ask them about the filming! Did they use a regular performance? Did they film it without audience to splice things in? I loved hearing how Hamilton was turned into a movie version, and think it would be lovely to hear background on this!

[@kathryn_morgan]

Ooh I totally should! ❤️

[@Blokewood3]

23:33 Maybe it's similar to the birthday party in Ant-Man. "He's so ugly! I love him!"

[@lgarvey11]

Your mentioning they're retired triggered a question: when dancers retire, do they get a retirement benefit? They're usually so young, but I would think it would be tough not to get something. Also, just after party scene there's the violin solo that's not in the Tchaikovsky score, how did that come about in this version?

[@kathryn_morgan]

Great questions! It honestly depends on the dancer and the company! Some dancers have retirement plans through the company. And most go on to a 2nd career elsewhere! The Tchaikovsky solo comes from the score of Sleeping Beauty actually. I think Balanchine wanted that extra scene for Dross to fix the Nutcracker. And it’s a very rarely used piece in Beauty, so he put it in Nutcracker!

[@lgarvey11]

@@kathryn_morgan So interesting! Thanks!

[@goddessrecipes]

omigosh! giovanni villabos is now a teacher at orlando ballet. we have him often. he’s the best!! ❤🎉

[@kathryn_morgan]

Amazing! ❤️

[@JGreen-le8xx]

Katie ❤❤❤❤❤❤ 😊

[@alexmeza6486]

Your a Snow Angel Kathryn 😍😍😍

[@sarahbecker8230]

Can you do battle scene and act 2 opening scene? Also it would be fun to do mother ginger as well!!!

[@nikkisweezea2388]

With everything the kids do being specifically cohreographed, is it the same for every goup of kids that get cast, or does their balletmaster tailor the games and interactions to each specific group of kids they get? Was all of that set by Balanchine as well, or has it evolved over the years based on the kids that they have to work with?

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yes! It’s the same no matter who is doing it. Balanchine set it and then it has been maintained!

[@ellievazquez3008]

Please do Arabian/Coffee!

[@averybishop9458]

next can you either do spanish/hot chocolate or the grand total pas de deux/coda for sugar plum

[@kerriemckinstry-jett8625]

This is a great explanation of everything! However, the dresses say "1840s, late 1840s" not "late 1800s". Queen Victoria & her family had started popularizing the Christmas tree by then, especially among the richer people. I'd say the host & hostess's family and friends certainly fit that category. Sorry, I watch way to many historical costubers. 😂 It's fine! It reads as Victorian, a lovely Christmas party.

[@kathryn_morgan]

THANK YOU!!! I’m so glad to know that! ❤️❤️❤️

[@kerriemckinstry-jett8625]

@kathryn_morgan No problem, it's not something anyone would know unless they've done way too many deep dives into historical costuming. 😂 Uh, not really the usual obsession. 😂 1880s dresses have huge bustles, but 1840s, 1850s dresses are simpler, so they'd be a lot easier for dancers to slip in & out of quickly for costume changes. No doubt that ease informed the choice of era for the costumes! You had me cracking up at "old man doll, just what I've always wanted". Queen Victoria & a bunch of her family were from Germany, so a lot of customs, fashions, etc. passed between the countries. I don't know how many English children would've been excited about nutcrackers, but certainly the German ones would! Not my thing. 😂

[@thebookwyrmslair6757]

Hello, fellow CosTube Binger!! Denver sets it in the 1880s/90s, which makes sense as that's when it started booming because of all the gold and silver mine money flowing through. 😊 The bustle gowns are so gorgeous!! (Edited for spelling error)

[@kerriemckinstry-jett8625]

@@thebookwyrmslair6757 Oh, that must look so cool! I like that each place does its own take on the Nutcracker. I haven't tackled making a bustle dress yet, but it's on my list. I managed a full 1780s dress, stays, hat, so I will get there someday. 🙂

[@ThatWeirdo04]

I agree. The bertha collars, the lappets in the hair, and the lack of crinolines are all very 1840s.

[@mermaidopulence8539]

Also can you please please please do the battle scene

[@zyxw2000]

Act II is sometimes interpreted as a dream, but in the original story, the Prince comes back to marry Clara when she is grown, so Act II wasn't a dream

[@cocolinabt]

City Ballet also doesn't have the Clara/Marie Variation? I never realized...

[@CarinRuff]

There was a great NY City Center discussion-demo the other day with Robert La Fosse and others discussing how they performed the role of Drosselmayer: kzbin.infoUjrXXp-FI9Y?si=JDLBuRVFXUKXm1sW

[@Spiralyne]

❤🎉😊❤

[@wednes3day]

Ngl, having had one or so around the house growing up .. nutcrackers still feel kinda special and cool? (Ours was all wood though)

[@kathryn_morgan]

Yes they do!

[@ariandnesiosana9362]

Thanks for the new video! At the same hour this video was posted, Business Insider also released NYCB pointe shoe video. so exciting!!! (kzbin.info/www/bejne/qp-Uo4FmqdpkiNE&ab_channel=BusinessInsider)

[@kathryn_morgan]

I love it!

[@charlieedwards4331]

Party scene is my least favorite part of The Nutcracker. I understand it’s necessary to set up the plot but I wish it wasn’t so long!

[@marygrace.429]

Such a great analysis! Would you consider doing the Pas de Deux next? 🩷