ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s a holiday classic with some new elements. Orlando Ballet is gearing up for its production of ‘The Nutcracker’ where some of the dancers are pulling the strings.
“In the story of the Nutcracker, the toys come to life so the marionettes and puppets establish the toy aspect of the story,” said Puppet Specialist Tony Whitten. “Like a standard marionette, we have a string on the head and two for each of the legs and arms to help control the body. But for these puppets, because they are sword fighting, they have extra movement so there’s an added thumb bar that makes the swords come up and down.”
Whitten has about 30 years of experience, having worked at local theme parks. He now teaches dancers at Orlando Ballet how to pull the strings.
“What’s interesting is that most of the dancers have never done actual puppetry before, so it’s getting used to the weight and scale of these new puppets. For instance, they have to hold their hands and elbows fairly high, and that’s an unusual position to hold for a long time,” said Whitten.
Even with little to no experience working with puppets, dancers like Cameron Bailey pick up the skill quickly, understanding the language of movement.
“It’s pretty intuitive because we’re so used to being in control of our bodies, our hands are a part of that. So it’s getting used to the idea that the puppet is an extension of ourselves,” said Bailey.
Orlando Ballet Presents ‘The Nutcracker’ was reimagined by artistic director Jorden Morris with new costumes and choreography. The new version debuted last year during Orlando Ballet’s 50th milestone year.
“Jorden designed the ballet so that it would be warm, inclusive, exciting and beautiful production. We think it should be part of your holiday tradition, it’s definitely a part of ours,” said Associate Artistic Director Lisa Thorn Morris.
This year the show includes new animatronics and larger puppets that interact with the audience, like the flying goose.
“They roam around the entire stage. Those puppets are not confined to the stages we built. They’ve got these wings that flare out and a mechanism on their heads to give her more expression and lifelike movements,” said Whitten. “It seems simple... It’s just rods and strings, but when done right in the hands of a talented performer, we believe it’s a Goose on the loose.”
Four dancers train as puppeteers and rotate throughout the nearly 30 performances of The Nutcracker.
Orlando Ballet presents ‘The Nutcracker’ runs Dec. 6 through Dec. 22 at Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts in Orlando. Click HERE for ticket information.