She auditioned last year for the role of Mother Cupcake and got the part. The character, guiding her \u201cCookies\u201d across the stage, brings a playful drag flair to the ballet production. While No One incorporates ballet movements using her arms, her preparation mainly involves practicing the choreography she learned last year with the group of young dancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No One\u2019s artistry and charisma has brought a fresh energy to San Jose Dance Theatre\u2019s Nutcracker<\/em> production, says SJDT Executive Director Elizabeth Sweeney. \u201cThis collaboration reflects our commitment to extending the joy of the arts to new audiences while staying true to the inclusive spirit we hope to foster,\u201d Sweeney says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy celebrating the contributions of artists like No One, we continue to build on the legacy of our founders and the timeless message of The Nutcracker<\/em>: that joy and magic are for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n SJDT\u2019s Nutcracker<\/em> runs Dec. 6\u20138 and 13\u201315, with the Dec. 13 evening performance designated as Nutcracker Family Pride Night. This celebration of culture and inclusivity begins with a pre-show meet and greet with No One.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Balancing the light-heartedness of drag with ballet\u2019s disciplined grace is key for No One. \u201cI adore this role because Mother Cupcake gets to break ballet\u2019s traditional standards through drag and bring a levity and humor to this graceful art form,\u201d she says. While No One\u2019s character is very poised, her playful personality occasionally peeks through. \u201c[Mother Cupcake] is a bit of a ham. She\u2019s the ultimate dance mom\u2014supportive and encouraging but only because she secretly wants to be the star.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0The look of the character leans heavily on drag traditions, including two-hour makeup sessions, but is amplified for a large production. \u201cSince I can\u2019t be as close to the audience, I have to go even bigger\u2014even by drag standards. So my character\u2019s facial expressions, and overall proportion, measures up to the stage. Her giant dress and giant personality\u2014everything\u2019s dialed up to an 11 to ensure my character looks larger than life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Performing for thousands of families and children over several weekends, she hopes her presence inspires others to embrace diversity in traditionally conservative spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTheatre has been an inclusive space for so many people and continues to be, regardless of their gender expression or sexuality. Ballet is the same way,\u201d she says. \u201cFor those who have never been exposed to drag, or want to participate or learn ballet but weren’t sure if they were welcome, I\u2019m proof that yes, it is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although not a classically trained ballet dancer, the drag queen has an extensive background in theater and drag, officially embracing the latter in 2019 after falling in love with the classic form of drag as seen portrayed by RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race<\/em> star Bianca Del Rio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No One describes herself as a self-taught queen, having gained her skills from online resources and books rather than a single drag mother. \u201cUnfortunately, there\u2019s not many mentors for this out there, but that\u2019s just the reality of it,\u201d she says\u2014a shift partly due to the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis, which claimed many lives in the queer community: \u201cThe AIDs crisis in the \u201990s took out an entire generation of queer people in our community. Of those who survived, from those I\u2019ve spoken with, they are just trying to enjoy life after that horror.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the advent of social media and the web, today\u2019s queens have unprecedented access to knowledge. \u201cThat lack of remaining trailblazers, by default, leaves us to learn on our own out of necessity,\u201d she says. \u201cBut now, I can learn from 20 drag mothers online who choose to share their knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As this self-taught method has fostered independence for many young drag artists, it has also led to innovation. \u201cWhen you\u2019re self-taught, you learn new ways to do things, like makeup, and it allows for innovation out of necessity,\u201d No One explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The drag queen said she values the creative freedom given by San Jose Dance Theatre. \u201cThey allowed me to have creative control over the character and pay homage to my roots as a drag artist, while being respectful to the art form of ballet. It\u2019s been a balancing act, ensuring that the performance doesn\u2019t go too far into drag that the elegance ballet has is lost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the curtain rises on her reprise of Mother Cupcake, No One carries forward a message of inclusion that has already extended beyond her role\u2014one of her drag sisters has been cast as Mother Ginger in another Nutcracker production in the South Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No One adds, \u201cDrag was founded on being a conversation around social expectations on women, and it continues to be an incredible art form where we can use the tools how we choose\u2014to be critical about the world we navigate, or to escape reality for a moment and enjoy the possibility of something different, something new or exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n San Jose Dance Theatre\u2019s Original San Jose Nutcracker will be performed Dec 6\u20138 and 13\u201315 at the Center for the Performing Arts, 255 S Almaden Blvd, San Jose. Tickets: $39.50\u2013$115. sjdt.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Drag queen No One will be again part of a theatrical tradition: San Jose Dance Theatre\u2019s annual performance of the Nutcracker ballet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14789,"featured_media":20178411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[7979],"tags":[11518,13467],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\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![\"Performer](\"https:\/\/www.metrosiliconvalley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2024\/12\/msv2449_nutcracker-2nd.jpg\")
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