Nutcracker Dream: Ballet des Amériques Begins 10-Performance Run at the Emelin

Choreographer and pedagogue Carole Alexis saw The Nutcracker as a child and thought of it as one beautiful ballet among many. When Alexis, who grew up in Martinique, Senegal and France, moved to the U.S., she was surprised to find it was a holiday tradition.

“This is the country that produces Nutcracker the most,” said Alexis, who began dancing at age four and already had a choreography commission at age 13. “There are a lot of people I talk to about dance, even if they are not particularly into the arts, who say, ‘Oh, my first ballet was The Nutcracker when I was a child.’”

On December 16, Alexis’s 90-minute interpretation of The Nutcracker, titled Nutcracker Dream, will begin its run of 10 performances at the Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck, performed by Alexis’s dance company, Ballet des Amériques. While shows for that and the following night are already sold out, tickets are available for the Dec. 26-29 shows, which features two performances each day.

The original story that formed the basis for The Nutcracker, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” was a dark tale written by E.T.A. Hoffman in 1816. Alexandre Dumas modified the story to make it less frightening, and this lighter version was used by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov to create the ballet in 1892.

Alexis founded the White Plains-based Ballet des Amériques Conservatory and Carole Alexis Ballet Theatre in 2011. The Nutcracker, she explained, is one of the few ballets where you can cast both children and adults. Some ballet companies use adults in the children’s roles, but Alexis does not support this practice. “We have a conservatory and a professional company, so it’s one of those perfect productions because we can include both adults and children,” she said.

That said, students from her ballet school had to try out for the 20 or so children’s roles, just like everyone else. “We have to be fair,” said Alexis. “I also believe in teaching the process of what it is to be a dance artist. You must audition for a part; it’s not given to you automatically.” Except for a few of the youngest dancers, the children in Nutcracker Dream had to commit to appear in all performances. “Commitment is something else I like to teach,” Alexis said.

Alexis says the child dancers don’t need coaxing to perform, adding they usually don’t want to leave the theatre when the show is over. “They fall in love with this life,” she said with a laugh.

Mark Ettenger, president of the Board of Directors at Emelin Theatre, said Nutcracker Dream checked a lot of boxes for them. “As a regional and community theatre, it was important that this be affordable, present a diverse cast and provide an alternative level of accessibility to The Nutcracker than the New York City productions,” he said. “We hope Nutcracker Dream will draw a multicultural audience from the Westchester community.”

Both Ballet des Amerique and the Emelin Theatre are ArtsWestchester affiliates, a detail that was important to Ettenger. “Promoting more collaboration amongst the affiliates mattered to me personally,” he said.

Alexis agreed: “In French we say, ‘L’union fait la force’—unity makes strength,” she said. “It’s not two separate entities, it’s all of us working together.”

Alexis, who in 2021 received the grade of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, one of the highest honors given by the French Republic, hopes Nutcracker Dream will inspire audience members both young and old. “Seeing a painting, listening to music, watching a ballet—not as a background, but really looking and listening—all stimulate the imagination in ways that social media cannot,” she said. “It’s so important for all of us.”

Ettenger added his own wish for the production. “We hope Nutcracker Dream at the Emelin will generate a spark in children to make the arts a core part of their lives,” he said.