Christmas without The Nutcracker: ballet that’s a holiday favourite cancelled in many North American cities because of pandemic
- Pandemic has cancelled performances of The Nutcracker in North America, destroying a major and reliable source of revenue for dance companies
- However in Hong Kong, Terence Kohler’s 2012 production staged by the Hong Kong Ballet is set to return in December
For many, it’s not Christmas without the dance of Clara, Uncle Drosselmeyer, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King and, of course, the Nutcracker Prince.
Unlike Hong Kong, where Terence Kohler’s 2012 production staged by the Hong Kong Ballet is set to return in December, the coronavirus pandemic has led to cancelled performances of The Nutcracker across the US and Canada this year, eliminating a major and reliable source of revenue for dance companies already reeling financially following the shutdown of their industry.
“This is an incredibly devastating situation for the arts and in particular for organisations like ours that rely on ticket sales from The Nutcracker to fund so many of our initiatives,” said Sue Porter, executive director of BalletMet in Columbus, in the US state of Ohio.
The Nutcracker typically provides about US$1.4 million of the company’s US$2 million in annual ticket sales, against a US$7 million budget. That money goes to school programming and financial aid for dance class students, Porter said. It’s the first year since 1977 that the company isn’t staging the ballet in Ohio’s capital.
The cancellations have meant lay-offs, furloughs and salary cuts, with companies relying heavily – sometimes exclusively – on fundraising to stay afloat. Beyond their financial importance, Nutcracker performances are also a crucial marketing tool for dance companies, company directors say.