Hello everyone Nutcracker season is coming up and I hope everyone is ready to hear the Tchaikovsky score over and over and over again… Along with a lot of the upper level guys in the school, I am performing Mouse, Page, Dragon and Horse. I did all of these parts last year but this year I am rehearsing Party Parent as well as the Russian Variation along with some of the other Trainees. I’m not quite sure the whole story behind the Russian Variation but from what I have heard it was the only part of the older version of the Nutcracker that is included in the Helgi’s new Nutcracker and it’s always a crowd favorite. Anatole Vilzak was asked to choreograph Russian on the highest level of the school boys and as a tradition the ballet masters chose a few boys every year to understudy Russian and from the past years a lot of the guys have been able to perform a show so I am hoping I get a chance to the part on stage.

Garrett Anderson in Tomasson’s Nutcracker © Erik Tomasson

Last year SFB’s Nutcracker was filmed to be part of PBS’s “Great Performances” and it is airing on December 17th and I highly recommend you all try to catch it on TV. (It’s also for sale online http://www.sfballet.org/balletshop/products/view_details.asp?id=20103199) Elizabeth Powell, who is one of my house-mates plays Clara so it’s so fun seeing her on video and all the buses and ads around SF.

Well good luck for all of you involved in any Nutcrackers and have fun during the holidays!