Return to The Nutcracker

We returned to Gainesville Ballet's "Nutcracker" this year, this time not as members or parents of a ballerina, but simply as fans with some Christmas spirit.  The girl who plays Clara goes to our church and we're good friends with her family.  They all did such a wonderful job tonight.

And you can see here that Madison brought friends with her.  She, Mary Shannon and Camille sat in the front row of the balcony, watching the production from above, and it was fantastic as always.

It's a pretty modified version of "The Nutcracker," but the main elements of Mr. Drosselmeyer and Clara with her Nutcracker are there, along with dances from Sugar Plums, Snowflakes, Candy Canes, and that odd Mother Ginger bit.

Madison saw all her old friends from the ballet company, and even went back to see them afterwards in "The Black Box."  That's the backstage area we used to hang out in waiting to go on stage.  Madison saw her friends dance, many of them with Mother Ginger this year.  But she doesn't regret leaving ballet so much, although she does miss her friends each week.  She talks to them online frequently, so there's that.  But again, she's completely happy with the directions she's chosen, going to Edge ATA now.

As for tonight's production, it was a magical night as it always is.  I've grown rather fond of "The Nutcracker," for whatever reasons.  Perhaps it is the nostalgia, or the wonderful music, or the choreography and performances.  It's familiar, although the performers themselves change and shift from year to yet.  Still, it's always brings a smile to our faces, a sweet night full of Christmas magic.

The rest of today was not quite as magical, a strange gloom over things.  Perhaps it was the passing of one of our former Presidents, George HW Bush.  Also, one of the ballerinas - the girl who plays Clara's sister - broke her foot on stage in an early morning performance of "The Nutcracker."  Quite suddenly, all the practice, all the things given up, and all the effort and love for dance were erased, and we were quite sad to hear this.  Mommy getting sick today did not add any joy either.  She was struggling with a stomach virus today or something.  Also, there were a few struggles at work, along with the odd news from Madison's middle school that there were rumors - untrue - of a student wanting to come in with weapons and so forth.  This is not true, according to the school, who is quoting the Sheriff's department and so on.  Nevertheless, it cast the day in a negative manner for a time.  The weather was cold and rainy, and things were gloomy for quite some time.  Even going home, there was an accident on the winding Browns Bridge Road that caused all of us to spend an extra hour or so on the roads, waiting to get home.  Fortunately, Daddy left a little earlier than usual, and as a result we got to the ballet just in time.

Thankfully, there was the ballet.  It lifted the spirits somewhat, and was yet another pleasant night celebrating this Christmas season.  We got home, tired, but feeling better about things.  We read from "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms," which is already adding a lot to the book.  But it was late, so we said our prayers after that, and promptly got ourselves under those nice, warm covers!