The Nutcracker

I am in the Washington Ballet's production of The Nutcracker for my third year in a row. This year I am a party boy and Ben Franklin.

In the party scene I play the big brother in the elegant family. The party scene is really cool because there is so much action. There are lots of company members and kids doing group dances such as the Virginia Reel and the March. The party scene is also very beautiful. The girls are wearing fluffy skirts and colorful dresses. The boys are wearing suits made out of silk and velvet with short pants and spats. We also have to put on lots of makeup including powder, blush, eyeliner and lipstick. The scene is very funny. When the grandfather puts the mistletoe over his head the little boy does the same thing and gets kissed. The grandfather also tricks the maid into getting more champagne. I am very happy to be in the party scene because there is lots of movement and jumping and if feels like you went to a real party.

I think the most exciting scene is the battle scene where I play Ben Franklin. In this version of the Nutcracker, the battle scene is based on the Revolutionary War. The rats are the English and the soldiers are fighting them. The Nutcracker is George Washington and the Rat King is the king of England. It is scary when the rats lift me up in the air because it feels like they are about to drop me! When the cannon is fired in the beginning of the battle it is also scary because a big cloud of gunpowder comes out of the cannon like a real cannon. The scene is really cool because the audience gets to see the battle starting to form and the soldiers make sharp angles and march perfectly on count. Compared to the Party Scene which is lovey-dovey, the Battle Scene is very harsh.

Please come see The Nutcracker!