The Nutcracker

This past weekend, I took #1 on a special date to see Ballet Arizona's The Nutcracker.

She loves ballet and has been begging me for as long as I can remember to go see a real one in person. Having performed in 15 or so Nutcrackers myself, I've been more than a little burnt out on it. It's not even my favorite ballet of all time - given the choice between the Nutcracker and any other, I'd probably choose the other. However, my own personal feelings aside, I cannot deny The Nutcracker is an all time children's favorite.

It was a surprise. I had her put on a brand new dress and took her out to lunch downtown. Not surprisingly, the area was swarming with little girls in beautiful dresses with their mothers and grandmothers. It was killing her not to know what was going on. I finally told her while we were walking up to Symphony Hall. Have you ever seen a 5 1/2 year old have a mini stroke? I have.

Overall, I was pleased with the production. The set and costumes were stunning and the choreography and dancers were fantastic. #1 had too many favorite parts to decide, but some stand outs were the battle with the Rat King and his minions (phenomenally done with amazing costumes), Mother Ginger (of course) and anything involving a beautiful tutu.

Of course, there were all sorts of souvenirs available in the lobby. She chose a lovely music playing nutcracker to commemorate the event.

We had a great time. While I try to set aside some one-on-one time for each girl during the day at home, I rarely have the opportunity to devote an entire afternoon toward the pleasure of one. It was definitely wonderful memory for me.