Photo｜李建霖

By Stella Tsai

The trilogy ballet concert Into the Fantasy of Nutcracker began in 2023 and will come to a close this year after what has been a mission impossible. Aside from the usual need for courage in the face of challenges, playwright and choreographer YEH Ming-hwa took on the additional test of reinterpreting a classic with much trepidation during the first year, like the little girl tentatively exploring ballet in the first part of the trilogy. In the second year, the girl had grown and came across new obstacles. Building on the foundations of classical ballet, YEH choreographed with contemporary aesthetics while the chamber orchestra provided a more refined TCHAIKOVSKY within the framework of the original.

In this third and final year, YEH has continued to boldly lead the girl into a world of fantasy and adventure, posing challenges to the Weiwuying Playhouse in bringing this Taiwanese version of The Nutcracker to a close. These productions have not only been the top year-end choices for families but also have created wonderful Christmastime memories for numerous viewers. 

Growth for All Made Visible in the Story of One Ballerina

Having been a child and an adolescent, the girl is now in her early 20s, entering the real world and confronted with its many obstacles. Difficulties from the past still haunt her, and now she has to worry about earning a livelihood. Having a part-time job to make ends meet is something every dancer can relate to in their career path.

If the first two parts of the trilogy were YEH looking back on her own younger years, then this part is definitely a glimpse into her life now, having embarked on her 40s, and a bit of encouragement to all other mature professional dancers. She has deeply felt the influence of time and experience, hence her definition for this three-year journey: inheritance.

From the ballet costume craftsmanship led by veteran theater practitioner LIN Ching-ju to the lighting and stage designers who have inherited the spirit of past dance theater while infusing a contemporary vision, as well as talented dancers from around the world, all have come together one by one over the past three years for Into the Fantasy of Nutcracker, establishing professional and industrial demand for ballet in Kaohsiung.

Photo｜李建霖

Creating Wonderful Christmas Memories with The Nutcracker

YEH's original goal for the production was to make The Nutcracker a Christmas tradition in Taiwan. When the second part was showing, she found that many people came again, this time bringing their family, and some even stayed after the performance to take pictures with the performers. She could see in their eyes how ballet had mesmerized them, their admiration for the dancers, and the potential for turning the piece into a seasonal tradition.

Her choreography stepped out of convention: Instead of keeping the dancers within a set framework, she created a space of thought in which the dancers could exhibit their true selves. She gives them direction based on their individual needs so that they may convey their distinct character and energy within each role. The most unforgettable part of this for her was when, during a rehearsal, she asked a dancer to offer suggestions, prompting the latter to cry. YEH says, "That's when I realized, dancers aren't encouraged to have an opinion, which causes them to lack the capacity to make decisions and express themselves with confidence." Fear and lack of confidence are what the girl in the story suffers from. 

Such training becomes a form of physical memory that, as people grow, shapes their futures.

If a fairytale can change the fate of its characters, then can it do so for its performers too?  YEH does not have an answer right now, but she wants to start trying with this piece. During rehearsals, she has been giving confidence to dancers with bit by bit of encouragement to think for themselves and express their ideas. Meanwhile, she is the sculptor, carving with the grain of the wood to produce a work with personal features.

This is a gift that YEH wishes to give all the participants and child audience. Perhaps someday they will hear TCHAIKOVSKY's music and be physically awakened to a Christmas from their childhood with images of a nutcracker and ballet.

  Program  

12/19-12/21

The Ballet Concert - Into the Fantasy of Nutcracker III