Procuring sets and costumes was also a problem. A printed score of the Tchaikovsky music was unavailable and special copies had to be photographically reproduced from the Library of Congress in Washington. Materials for the new ballet were difficult to find. For the second season, Willam chose to stage the complete Nutcracker.Īlthough Willam had choreographed excerpts from the Nutcracker as early as 1935, the complete Nutcracker had never before been staged in America. Willam's first production was Hansel and Gretel, presented in 1943. Willam Christensen, the company's artistic director, saw this as an opportunity to present an annual holiday ballet festival where a new fairytale ballet would be staged each year. The facilities, however, were almost always available during the Christmas holidays. During the early years of San Francisco Ballet's existence as an independent organization, the company faced stiff competition from the Opera and Symphony for use of the War Memorial Opera House stage. America's first performance of the complete Nutcracker was staged by Willam Christensen and the San Francisco Ballet in 1944. The Christensen's association with the Nutcracker ballet is historic.
(Left: Tracy Kai Maier as the Rose in the San Francisco Ballet performances of Nutcracker. Lew Christensen's Nutcracker has entertained audiences for nearly half a century. Ludmila Lopukhova and Alexander Topciy (1986) Number of Dancers: 1986 production, 107 Duration: 2 hours
Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Sets and Costumes: Leonard Weisgard (1954), Robert O'Hearn (1967), Jose Varona (1986) First Performances: First complete production by Lew Christensen, DecemSecond production, DecemĬurrent production, DecemPrincipal Dancers: Nancy Johnson and Conrad Ludlow (1954), Melissa Hayden and Jacques d'Amboise (1967),
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