The iconic masterpiece that has defined generations started when Ballet West’s founder, Willam Christensen, choreographed the first full-length version of The Nutcracker in the United States in 1944. Now 80 years later, Ballet West’s Nutcracker has become officially known as a Living Historic Landmark by the state of Utah in 2024, the first such designation of its kind in the U.S.
Christensen’s Nutcracker has been annually presented in Utah since 1955, and by Ballet West since 1963. Touted by the New York Times principal dance critic as “one of the best productions I have ever seen,” its success sparked a cultural and artistic phenomenon that is largely responsible for the ballet landscape in America as we know it today.
As Ballet West Executive Director Michael Scolamiero explains, “It is the first full-length Nutcracker created here in the United States by our founder, Willam Christensen, for San Francisco Ballet in 1944. We are the only company that presents this version in the United States, and it literally started this Nutcracker mania that every ballet company in America presents during the holidays.”
Christensen created The Nutcracker for the San Francisco Ballet during the height of WWII to provide family entertainment to audiences during a difficult time in the world. Nutcracker proved to be ideal because of the vast number of children used in the production, at a time when so many able-bodied dancers were enlisted in the military, according to Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute.
“What it then became was a wonderful phenomenon around the globe, first in America, and later on the world. When The Nutcracker premiered in Europe in 1892, many critics did not like that so many roles were danced by children, that the ballet was so short (two hours), and that the story was light and gentle. It fell into obscurity for decades,” Sklute said. “But those very things that were not popular from the original production were the very things that made the work a success when Mr. C produced it.”
Ten years after Christensen produced The Nutcracker in America, George Balanchine created his own version, and then company after company adopted the idea because of the opportunity for children to perform alongside professionals and for families to see their kids perform.
“The Nutcracker has become synonymous with the holiday tradition and that’s all because of Christensen, who created this success that has become a major revenue stream for ballet companies around the world,” added Sklute.
To honor the celebration, Ballet West has created a new website to learn about how The Nutcracker first began in the United States. Visitors can also bring a part of history home with Ballet West’s exclusive America’s First Nutcracker merchandise.
