Cape Town City Ballet starts summer programme with The Nutcracker

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The Nutcracker is produced by ballet doyenne Veronica Paeper and will be presented for a limited season from 7 to 23 December at Artscape in the Opera House.

Celebrating the 130th anniversary of the premiere of this charming ballet story, the dynamic dancers of Cape Town City Ballet will be accompanied by Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Brandon Phillips at select performances. Following nationwide auditions, 40 children at each show have the chance to delight audiences as they perform alongside the Company.

The Nutcracker is set on Christmas Eve at a celebratory gathering of family, friends and children, as an enigmatic story unfolds.

The children receive their special gifts, and her very unusual nutcracker doll beguiles Clara. She falls asleep holding her new friend and dreams that she saves the doll’s life in a “fierce” battle against The Mouse King. Just like that…. the doll magically transforms into a handsome prince, who whisks Clara away to the Kingdom of the Sweets through the Land of Snow. The enigmatic Sugar Plum Fairy welcomes Clara and the Prince to her land as special guests. It treats them to a spectacular display of the world’s most wonderful delectable indulgences in the captivating Kingdom of the Treats!

Paeper has teamed up again up with her long-standing collaborator Peter Cazalet for set and costume design, assisted by set and costume consultant Michael Mitchell. Acclaimed designer Wilhelm Disbergen is responsible for lighting design.

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Performed to enchanting music by Tchaikovsky, with libretto by Marius Petipa, adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and The Mouse King, choreography is by Pamela Chrimes and David Poole after Lev Ivanov.

“What better way to round off the year with a sumptuous feast of ballet and entertainment in our production of perennial favourite, The Nutcracker,” says Turner.

“We encourage patrons to have fun, dress up and use every performance as an opportunity to celebrate the holiday season spirit. At our closing performance on 23 December, young audience members can enjoy the Children’s Parade, take pictures with the characters on stage and receive a sweet treat!” Turner concludes.

Bookings can be made here.