1. Explore world cultures and enjoy the art of dance!
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Act II of The Nutcracker
Explore world cultures and enjoy the art of dance!

2. Outline Act II of The Nutcracker Ballet Frontier of Texas
I. Experience
1. About the Production
2. Tips for watching ballet
II. Introduction
1. Ballet Vocabulary
2. The History of the Nutcracker
A. The Story
B. Original Telling
C. Ballet Telling
III. Enrichment
1. Tchaikovsky & his music
2. Choreography of the Nutcracker
3. Russia in the 1890s
4. Featured World Cultures in the Nutcracker
IV. Projects
1. Nutcracker Cards
2. Places Represented
3. Languages Represented
4. Regional Music *All IFW programs are TEKS Aligned
Experience
Introduction
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3. Experience: About this production
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Experience: About this production
Ballet Frontier's The Nutcracker School Show features an abridged version of the original Nutcracker production. A guest moderator will welcome the audience, outline the story, and educate students about dance training and production design. 
One exciting aspect of The Nutcracker School Show is the extensive participation of pre-professionally trained youth dancers in the production. Students see peers of all ages on stage as well as the results of committed training and discipline.
Visit Ballet Frontier of Texas’ Website:
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4. Experience: Tips for watching ballet
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Experience: Tips for watching ballet
When the lights dim, it is time for the performance to start.
Talking can be distracting -- please stay quiet during the performance.
Please remain in your seat during the show.
Follow the directions of the staff when entering & exiting.
Feel free to clap at appropriate times.
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5. Introduction: Ballet Vocabulary
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Introduction: Ballet Vocabulary
Ballet – a form of theatrical dance that uses particular movements and poses. No words are spoken. The story is told through music and movements.
Ballerina – a female ballet dancer. This term once referred to the star female dancer; now it means any female ballet dancer.
Corps de Ballet – ballet dancers who perform as a group. In The Nutcracker, the Waltz of the Flowers is performed by the corps de ballet.
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6. Introduction: Ballet Vocabulary
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Introduction: Ballet Vocabulary
Danseur – a male ballet dancer.
Divertissement – a dance or series of dances
which show a dancer’s skill. In The
Nutcracker, the “country” dances of Act II
(Spanish, Arabian, Chinese, Russian, Marzipan, Mother Ginger) are divertissement.
On-Pointe – when a ballerina stands on the tips of her toe or pointe shoes, she is said to be “on pointe”.
Pas de deux – a ballet dance for a couple. The Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince perform a pas de deux near the end of Act II in The Nutcracker.
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7. Introduction: Ballet Vocabulary
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Introduction: Ballet Vocabulary
Pirouette – a ballet turn in which the dancer makes a complete turn on one foot.
Pointe shoes – also called toe shoes. Special ballet shoes worn by ballerinas to allow them to dance on the points of their toes.
Student dancers should not wear pointe shoes until age
Port de bras – the arm movements of ballet.
It literally means the carriage of the arms.
Tutu – a ballerina’s skirt, made of several
layers of fine net-like fabric called tulle
(pronounced tool).
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8. Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a fairy tale ballet
in two acts centered on a family’s
Christmas Eve celebration. It is
Alexandre Dumas’ adaptation of the
story by E.T.A. Hoffmann.
It was first set to music by Tchaikovsky
and originally choreographed by
Petipa & Ivanov. The Nutcracker was
commissioned by the director of
Moscow’s Imperial Theatres, Ivan Vsevolozhsky, in 1891, and premiered a week before Christmas 1892.
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9. Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker ballet tells the story of a young girl named Clara and her mischievous brother Fritz at the family Christmas celebration.
Their uncle arrives with gifts including a magnificent nutcracker for Clara. Fritz is jealous and breaks it. Clara is heartbroken, but her uncle repairs her treasure and the party continues.
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10. Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
Clara’s magical adventure begins after everyone has gone to sleep. Clara’s journey takes her to the Land of Snow, where she is welcomed by snowflakes. The Nutcracker Prince escorts Clara to the land of Sweets where she is greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy. She and the Nutcracker are then treated to spectacular cultural dances. There is one final dance to conclude the performance before Clara goes back home.
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11. Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
E. T. A. Hoffmann ( ), was a German
Romantic author of fantasy and horror. He is
the author of the novella The Nutcracker and
the Mouse King, on which the famous ballet
The Nutcracker is based.
Inanimate things come to life in many of
Hoffmann's stories. He was a champion of
the imagination run wild. The French writer
Alexandre Dumas adapted Hoffmann's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a little girl, Marie, and her Christmas toys, into the more familiar story we see performed today.
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12. Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
In the original version, Marie worries about a beautiful nutcracker that's been broken. At night, she goes to check on it. To her surprise, it has come alive, and a story-within-a-story begins: armies of mice and toy soldiers battle in what is either the child's delirious nightmare, or perhaps another reality into which she wanders.
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13. Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Introduction: The History of The Nutcracker
Alexandre Dumas altered the story, making it lighter and less scary. Marie became Klara. Her flights of imagination became sweeter and more tame. In 1892 a team of Russians turned Dumas' version into a ballet. The Nutcracker did not enjoy great success at first, but the music by Tchaikovsky eventually did. Staging it has become a Christmas season ritual.
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14. Enrichment: Tchaikovsky and His Music
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Tchaikovsky and His Music
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Russia in He was a bright child who could read Russian, French, and German by the age of 6. He showed an ultra-sensitivity to music and had a delicate musical ear.
In 1850, his family moved to St. Petersburg, where he attended school. At age 14 he began attempting composition. At age 21 he began to study music seriously. In 1866 he moved to Moscow to be a harmony teacher for the Moscow Conservatory. He led a quiet life there, teaching and composing.
Listen to his music for The Nutcracker here:
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15. Enrichment: Tchaikovsky and His Music
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Tchaikovsky and His Music
In 1877, a wealthy widow started to subsidize Tchaikovsky. However, there was one strange condition to the widow's financial support—they were never to meet. With this financial independence, he was able to resign from the Conservatory. He first began composing music for ballet in the late 1800s. At the time ballet music was considered
unimaginative; the music world was
astonished that such a great composer would
"stoop so low.” Tchaikovsky accepted the
commission for The Nutcracker in He
went on to compose two other full-length
ballets that would become masterworks of the
genre: Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty.
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16. Enrichment: Choreography of The Nutcracker
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Choreography of The Nutcracker
Choreography is the art of creating and arranging dances. The word derives from the Greek for “dance” and for “write.” Choreographers create the sequence of steps that make up a dance performance. These can be short, such as dances you may see on TV commercials, or hours long, such as full length ballets.
The Nutcracker choreography was begun by the
famed Marius Petipa, but when Petipa fell ill the
work was taken up by his assistant Ivanov.
According to historical accounts, Petipa refused
to have his name linked with it. Dance historians
have recognized his contribution, and the
choreography is generally credited to both
Petipa and Ivanov.
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17. Enrichment: Choreography of The Nutcracker
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Choreography of The Nutcracker
Marius Petipa was born in France in 1822.
His father was a dancer, choreographer, &
teacher who brought him up to do the
same. In 1847, after years of travelling the
world as a dancer, he went to Russia.
Petipa’s style called for massive, luxurious
productions. With such a long career (56
years at one company), fashion inevitably
turned against Petipa. Although officially
titled ‘ballet master for life’, he retired in
1903 after unfavorable reviews. Due to
poor health, he moved to southern Russia in
1907, where he lived until dying on July 14, 1910.
Watch Petipa’s work:
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18. Watch a preview of Swan Lake:
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Choreography of The Nutcracker
Lev Ivanov was born in Moscow in At the age of ten, he was enrolled at the Imperial School of Ballet, where he was a pupil of Marius Petipa’s father, Jean Petipa. Ivanov eventually rose to the rank of principal dancer. In 1885 he was appointed second ballet master, the assistant to Marius Petipa.
His choreography was always in Petipa’s shadow. His most famous contributions to ballet are The Nutcracker and the 'white' acts of Swan Lake. He died in St. Petersburg in 1901.
Watch a preview of Swan Lake:
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19. Enrichment: Russia in the 1890s
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Russia in the 1890s
Czar Alexander III led Russia at the time of the commissioning of The Nutcracker. He was a physical, imposing ruler whose style of ruling was designed to bolster Russian nationalism. His reign saw the rapid industrialization of Russia.
In 1894, upon the death of Alexander III, his son Nicholas II ascended to the throne. Nicholas was gentle and approachable. However he could be weak and inconsistent. His personality made him unsuited to deal with Russia’s serious political problems.
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20. Enrichment: Russia in the 1890s
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Russia in the 1890s
Nicholas II’s failure to consider reform led to
the political opposition. The growth of the
working class saw the development of
socialism. In 1898, the Russian Social and
Democratic Labor party was formed. The
party followed the ideas of Karl Marx and
called for an end to the Czarist state.
In 1901, the Social Revolutionary Party was formed. It drew its support from the peasantry. They advocated land reform and many of its members favored direct action or the use of violence.  A revolution was sparked and Nicholas II’s handling of domestic disruptions and World War I incensed his subjects, leading to his abdication. The Bolsheviks executed the royal family on July 17, 1918.
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21. Enrichment: Featured World Cultures
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Featured World Cultures
The part of The Nutcracker you will see features world cultures. They are emphasized in the costumes, dance steps, and body movements. Students will enjoy a colorful multicultural celebration of sweets from around the world: Spanish Hot Chocolate, Arabian Coffee, Chinese Tea, and Russian Candy - all choreographed to Tchaikovsky's famous compositions.
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22. Enrichment: Featured World Cultures – Spanish
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Featured World Cultures – Spanish
The chocolate dance: this dance features graceful classical Spanish dance with quick turning and snapping of the head at the end of a musical phrase.
Chocolate from Spain: why from Spain? Because Spain owned most of South America, and that is where chocolate still comes from.
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23. Enrichment: Featured World Cultures – Arabia
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Featured World Cultures – Arabia
The Coffee Dance: inspired by Arabian exotic weaving of arms and legs; slithering snake-like partnering and distinct Arabian angular poses of the head and arms.
Coffee was grown in Arabia, Egypt, and other countries in that area. Although it is now grown all over the world, some people still prefer "Arabica" coffee. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people in Europe loved to fantasize about Arab sheiks and the exotic women around them.
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24. Enrichment: Featured World Cultures – China
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Featured World Cultures – China
Tea from China: this dance often includes traditional Chinese ribbon dance. It can also include a Chinese dragon, a symbol of power and royalty, carried in by dancers.
Since tea was first discovered in China, it has traveled the world. Tea is the most popular beverage in the world as well as one of the healthiest. For several hundred years, people drank tea because of its herbal medicinal qualities; later tea was used as a religious offering.
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25. Enrichment: Featured World Cultures – Russia
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Enrichment: Featured World Cultures – Russia
Russian Candy: this dance was inspired by intimidating Russian soldiers from history. They perform Cossack-like dance steps including "Russian" jumps and a low-to-the-floor circling of one leg under the other.
The storyline Tchaikovsky was working from said that this was supposed to be a dance of peppermint sticks, or maybe of caramels. Since he was a Russian and his dancers were Russians, he put in the most wonderful showy kind of Russian village dancing.
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26. Project: Nutcracker Cards
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Project: Nutcracker Cards
Choose your favorite characters from The Nutcracker and design an original costume for this character based on their culture and role in the ballet.
Make at least four of these cards so that they create the basis of a deck of playing cards.
Who will be your King? Queen? Joker?
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27. Spain, China, Russia, and Arabia
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Project: Places Represented
Investigate the places represented in The Nutcracker:
Spain, China, Russia, and Arabia
Choose one you would like to visit and create a poster showing:
what their alphabet looks like
what language they speak
a flag from one of the region’s current countries.
what their money looks like
what holidays are celebrated there
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28. Spain, China, Russia, and Arabia
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Project: Languages Represented
Investigate the places represented in The Nutcracker:
Spain, China, Russia, and Arabia
Find out about languages that are represented in The Nutcracker. Learn a few words from each of these regions.
Think about what languages would you like to learn.
Learn about language options at FWISD here:
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29. Spain, China, Russia, and Arabia
Act II of The Nutcracker
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Project: Regional Music
Investigate the places represented in The Nutcracker:
Spain, China, Russia, and Arabia
Research the music from the areas represented in the ballet. Tchaikovsky’s music for each of these regions has distinct elements that are unique to the regions. Find out what instruments that are unique to these regions helped him capture the regional sound. Find out what these instruments look and sound like -present your findings to the class.
Here’s an example of Russian Folk Music:
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30. About Us: Imagination Fort Worth
Imagination Fort Worth sparks the imaginations of Texas kids through transformational experiences. Over the past 25 years, more than five million students have participated in our programs—programs that combine the creative thrill of the arts with the critical educational goals outlined by local and state guidelines.
Through art, dance, music, and theater, students engage with history, science, math, and language in ways that enhance learning and awaken creativity.
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31. About Us: Imagination Fort Worth
Imagination Fort Worth is an independent
non-profit organization. We partner with 
local schools to create field trips and
in-school programs that target specific educational needs, as well as with local
arts and cultural institutions to introduce
students to a diversity of mind-opening experiences.
Visit us at:
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32. Imagination Fort Worth would like to thank
the all of our donors, partners, and volunteers for their continued support. Check out the link below for a comprehensive list of donors and partners!
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33. Explore world cultures and enjoy the art of dance!
Ballet Frontier of Texas
Act II of The Nutcracker
Explore world cultures and enjoy the art of dance!