{"id":20163302,"date":"2022-12-14T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.metrosiliconvalley.com\/?p=20163302"},"modified":"2023-07-26T11:26:13","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T18:26:13","slug":"two-san-jose-nutcrackers-take-the-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metrosiliconvalley.com\/two-san-jose-nutcrackers-take-the-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"Two San Jose Nutcrackers Take the Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When it first premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, over 100 years ago, the two-act Nutcracker<\/em> ballet fell flat for Russian attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Famously scored by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Nutcracker<\/em> was adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 short story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.\u201d The whimsical story has been interpreted and performed countless times since its initial lukewarm reception. Locally, it\u2019s been performed by a cohort of dancers, athletes, students and artists for more than half a century in San Jose by one organization in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of this year, San Jose Dance Theatre and their rotating troupe of dancers and students have performed a traditional iteration of the original Russian Nutcracker<\/em> for 58 years, calling their production \u201cthe San Jose Nutcracker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Howerton, president of the board of directors for San Jose Dance Theater, says SJDT\u2019s interpretation of the ballet has become something of a traditional mainstay for local families. They take pleasure in staying consistent with the same spirited score created by Tchaikovsky, down to the same original choreography that the Nutcracker debuted with in Russia in the 1800s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis year we are taking an even more traditional approach\u2026we\u2019re taking it back to the original [SJDT] founder\u2019s choreography,\u201d Howerton says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tradition is at the heart of San Jose Dance Theatre\u2019s Nutcracker<\/em> presentation\u2014now retitled The Original San Jose Nutcracker<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SJDT\u2019s efforts to incorporate San Jose into its Nutcracker tagline follow New Ballet\u2019s The San Jose Nutcracker<\/em>, a themed production set in turn-of-the-century San Jose. This weekend, both Nutcrackers take the stage, New Ballet\u2019s The San Jose Nutcracker<\/em> at the California Theatre and SJDT\u2019s The Original San Jose Nutcracker<\/em> at the Center for the Performing Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LE VOYAGE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tradition is at the heart of San Jose Dance Theatre\u2019s presentation of the Nutcracker<\/em> (now retitled the Original San Jose Nutcracker<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/strong>For almost 30 years, we were the only Nutcracker<\/em> in San Jose,\u201d Howerton shares. \u201cThe fact that we were the resident Nutcracker<\/em> of the Center for Performing Arts, I believe, really solidified our place in downtown San Jose. We\u2019re super proud of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long before Howerton was president at SJDT he was a student of the school. Howerton first began dancing with the company in 1970. He was nine years old at the time. He stayed with the company all through his early 20s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI performed my first Nutcracker<\/em> with Paul and Shawn when we were still at the Civic Auditorium,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul Curtis and Shawn Stuart were the original founders of the West Valley Ballet Company, who in 1973 incorporated and changed the name to San Jose Dance Theater Company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were instrumental, for many many reasons, but especially, for being wonderful mentors and teachers to me,\u201d Howerton says. \u201cThey started doing the Nutcracker<\/em> back in 1960, back at the Los Gatos High School. Then, we moved to the Civic Auditorium in 1965. That\u2019s why we take that 1965 marker and go from that many years forward. We\u2019re now at year 57\u2014we\u2019ve been performing since 1965.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To date, Howerton has performed the role of Drosselmeyer for over two decades, which he says is still his favorite character in the ballet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve danced just about every role in the Nutcracker<\/em> over the years. In 1992, I was fortunate enough to have one of the founders, Shawn Stuart, hand over the role of Drosselmeyer over to me. \u2026 Off and on, of course, because we\u2019ve had some iterations within the company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But back when the former dancer was just 21, he left the company to perform with a contemporary San Jose-based ballet organization, the Margaret Wingrove Dance Company. Artistic director and dancer Margaret Wingrove founded the company in 1981 and continues to be sought after for choreography by many dance companies in the Bay Area. Under Wingrove\u2019s guidance and with the company\u2019s support, Howerton made a name for himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI started dancing for Margaret\u2019s company in 1983. I started as a dancer, then later choreographer, co-director and eventually artistic director of the company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the late \u201990s, Howerton met Mark Foehringer, San Jose Dance Theatre\u2019s current artistic director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMark and I go all the way back to 1995,\u201d he says. \u201cI was one of the first company members when he was beginning the Mark Foehringer Dance Project in San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Howerton danced with both Wingrove and Foehringer\u2019s companies for many years, with performances spanning across the Bay Area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI danced with Mark and Margaret until I was simply too old to be dancing at that capacity anymore\u2026my body was broken at that point. It was too physically demanding,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After years of performing, Howerton went into the tech sector, only recently retiring. A year and a half ago, San Jose Dance Theatre\u2019s outgoing president approached him about taking the helm of the beloved company where he had grown up dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had some conversations about it and at one point I said, \u2018Well, wouldn\u2019t it be fun if I came in and headed the organization?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given all of the history the Cupertino-raised dancer had with the company, the role was deemed a perfect fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt felt like a full-circle moment for me,\u201d he shares. \u201cAnd it\u2019s been very cool, for Mark and I, to actually be doing this together. It all fell together very organically and it\u2019s been a rewarding experience so far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CRACKING IN<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 2016 by local dancer, choreographer and ballet teacher Dalia Rawson, the San Jose-based nonprofit dance company New Ballet is giving many Bay Area dance companies a run for their money. In their creative iteration of the two-act Nutcracker<\/em>, they champion what the art of ballet means in this day and age and how vital it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The production is collaborative, from the scenic elements and backdrops created with insight from History San Jose and major contributions from downtown muralist Lacey Bryant, to the exclusive access of one functioning Tesla Coil that makes a special appearance during the ballet. Rawson\u2019s iteration of the Nutcracker<\/em> is all about combining the words \u201cSan Jose\u201d and \u201cNutcracker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no way you can miss that we\u2019re in San Jose in any of the scenes of the show,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At its core, Rawson\u2019s production is a local story for a local audience, with plenty of local elements integrated into the familiar story. The waltz of the flowers is now the waltz of tangerine-clad ballerinas dancing as California poppies; mercury becomes quicksilver mines; and the Land of Sweets is replaced by a remarkably scenic Valley of the Heart\u2019s Delight, with apricot blossoms at center stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur ballet company works with us all year round, we have a full-year contract of local dancers who dance with us from September through the end of May, so they\u2019re really based and rooted here in San Jose,\u201d Rawson adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of moving parts to New Ballet\u2019s iteration of the Nutcracker<\/em>, including many outside organizations helping in the endeavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLos Lupe\u00f1os Juvenile, which is the youth arm of the local folklorico company, choreographed a section of our ballet featured in the second act. And the Ragazzi Boys Choir also performs live with us,\u201d Rawson says, mentioning the acclaimed Peninsula choir. \u201cFrom the moment I came up with this idea of making a Nutcracker<\/em> for the city of San Jose, based in the city of San Jose\u2014it\u2019s really been a dream come true. It\u2019s been my obsession for a long time, and I\u2019m so proud of what we\u2019ve accomplished this season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reimagined Nutcracker<\/em> shows the kind of dedication and uniquely collaborative approach taken by a company that\u2019s as inclusive as it is creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo modern audiences, much of the traditional story is cultural appropriation. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to reimagine Clara\u2019s story completely,\u201d Rawson says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that she has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clara\u2019s story\u2014as reworked by Rawson, the ballet company and augmented by dancers from the school\u2014changes the traditional narrative and tailors it around a new, contemporary tale, one that still focuses on Clara but centers around themes of bravery and finding one\u2019s own identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy goal in reimagining these big classical ballets is to update them for modern audiences. Our region is remarkable, known for the great ideas created in this Valley. We wanted this to be a production for our city of San Jose, inspired by our city, and involving our entire community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rawson is passionate about reinventing popular ballet stories for contemporary audiences, but also committed to gathering from the entire community for her productions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe really believe in inclusivity in our storytelling and across all aspects of dance. We want ballet to resonate with, and share with, our entire community, which is why we keep our ticket prices low,\u201d she says. \u201cI mean, I\u2019ve been asked multiple, multiple times, \u2018Why aren\u2019t you bumping up those 25 dollar tickets?\u2019 And I say no. And it\u2019s because I really believe that everyone in San Jose, as many people as we can, should be able to experience this ballet because it\u2019s for our whole community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After an unprecedented pandemic forced the company to perform their unique San Jose-centric ballet online, she is understandably excited for the dance company to be headlining the California Theater this winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast year, coming out of the pandemic and seeing audiences in that lobby, there to enjoy the ballet, just felt like a miracle. We\u2019re so excited to get back into a theater and see our beautiful dancers on stage,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd the California is the perfect home for our production. There\u2019s no theater like the California in the Bay Area. It\u2019s such a jeweled, art-deco splendor\u2014you walk in through the door and you feel transported immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to its dazzling venue and cast of local contributors, the production is also lucky to include Los Angeles-born organist and NASA Computer Systems Engineer Jerry Nagano\u2019s award-winning keyboard skills. Nagano is one of two specially trained artists licensed to play the historic organ in the California Theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a special moment the second you walk into the theater and hear [Jerry] playing. The Packard Foundation rebuilt the California and now the pipe organ comes out of the walls, and the music just fills the entire lobby. It is a beautiful experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CODA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it originally debuted, Nutcracker<\/em> was far from a success, bogged down in audiences\u2019 minds by its slow first act. However, it\u2019s now become part of the cultural climate of the holidays. It\u2019s also a financial lifeline for dancing companies, whose annual budget is directly derived from grants from government agencies, private donors and fundraising events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historically, the production has consistently been a high-cost event. According to a 2017 Dance\/USA survey, budgets for a new production spanning small to mid-sized dance companies can reach up to $2 million. That number grows dramatically when items like shoes, costumes, props and scenic elements are added to a program during a season. On average, the San Francisco Ballet will typically go through over 1,200 pairs of pointe shoes during a single Nutcracker<\/em> season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the survey found that The Nutcracker<\/em> represents nearly 50 percent of a company\u2019s overall revenues per season\u2014sometimes it pays to play. Ultimately, the ballet continues to be a vital financial boon to dance companies nationally and locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether observed traditionally or interpreted through a modern lens, Nutcracker<\/em> is here to stay in San Jose. For Dahlia Rawson at New Ballet, that means more opportunity to engage with the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really believe that it\u2019s important that ballet is seen as a form of entertainment, and that performances are fast-paced, energetic and fun for families to come and attend,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With four programs scheduled for this year, San Jose Dance Theatre remains as busy as ever. Having recently received support from SVCreates and the county of Santa Clara, the company was able to survive through the pandemic and continue to bring this holiday tradition to San Jose. Then, it\u2019s on to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt seems like as soon as we get through one program, we\u2019re immediately getting ready to start the next one, and we\u2019re so grateful for that,\u201d Howerton says. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be here if we didn\u2019t have help from the community and our grantors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Correction: this version of the story has been corrected to reflect that San Jose Dance Theatre named their production <\/em>The Original San Jose Nutcracker in 2022<\/em>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it first premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, over 100 years ago, the two-act Nutcracker ballet fell flat for Russian attendees. Famously scored by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Nutcracker was adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 short story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.\u201d The whimsical story has been interpreted and performed countless […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14786,"featured_media":20163304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":1690395957,"_expiration-date-type":"draft","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[1775],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n