Opening night of the Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker was Nov. 29, and I was lucky enough to attend. I had never been to the Boston Opera House before, and I was in awe of the utter beauty it held. The interior was decorated with marble and each tier had at least one snow-kissed balsam Christmas tree covered in ornaments. The show began at 7:30 p.m. and we were eager in our seats, awaiting the start.

To begin, the set showed a group of kids gathering around the toy maker, as he gave them each a special toy for Christmas. There were rocking horses, dolls, and a nutcracker—something he was very proud of. But, no one wanted this nutcracker, except for one girl, Clarissa. She took this toy and it was very special to her, and soon enough all the kids were intrigued as well. Soon enough, the toy maker introduced Clarissa into a world full of sparkles and snowflakes. She was brought into what looked like an enchanting castle, surrounded by party guests and those in their best dress. She was greeted first by a harlequin doll, followed by a ballerina doll—in which they held perfect, barbie-like movements. Then, out of a giant box, came a tumbling, towering bear. Each of these characters blew away the audience with their seemingly unreal dance moves, as they were each so particular and in sync with the orchestra.

Next, we watched Clarissa doze off and we were shown mice crawling around the floor—not any normal kind of mice either, these were giant, dancing mice. There was an all-out war taking place between the King Mouse and a giant version of the toy Nutcracker. During this scene, though they were fighting, we were still watching in awe as the dancers jumped high up in the air, and landed gracefully on their toes. It felt almost as if no one there ever once stepped foot on their heels.

In the “Snow Scene,” I literally watched what looked like real snow fall from the sky. The snow king and queen were dressed in such sparkling clothing I could see it shine from the middle of the crowd. I found the wardrobe to be a huge part of their entire show, because it maintained the tone alongside the music. Each move, whether it be swinging in the air, clicking their feet together, or frolicking alongside one another, was in perfect harmony alongside the orchestra’s beautifully performed music.
As I said before, I’ve never been to anything like this. If I had seen this as a kid, I think I would still believe in magic to this day. Even as a college student, I was blow away by the utter talent that walked upon that stage. I am a holiday-loving kind of person, but this made things that much more special this year. If you have the opportunity to see this ballet, please do yourself a favor and take advantage of it. I never thought I would like something that had absolutely no dialogue, or that I would even be able to stay awake during a ballet–but to say I was proven wrong would be an understatement. After seeing the Nutcracker, I’ve decided to never say never.