衛武營國家藝術文化中心 National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)

Growing through the Wonder Journey

The Nutcracker: Pains and Gains When Growing Up

What is your Christmas tradition?

The Nutcracker, composed by P. TCHAIKOVSKY in 1892, is a timeless ballet that has captivated Europe for over two centuries. This enchanting work inspired numerous theaters and dance companies to craft their own adaptations. In the story, when the midnight chimes ring, they invoke a ritual that brings the magic of the balls to life, with snowy landscapes and mesmerizing dances that deliver the essence of Christmas. This ballet has grown into a cherished tradition, warming hearts across Europe in every winter season. In 2023, Weiwuying brought choreographers YEH Ming-hwa and CHOU Shu-yi to southern Kaohsiung to continue this festive tradition. YEH Ming-hwa, a talented choreographer and dancer from Kaohsiung, embraced the challenge of adapting and directing the ballet.

YEH draws deeply from the core themes of The Nutcracker—dreams and courage—integrating them with the unique growth experiences of Taiwanese children. In the 2023 production, the young protagonist, a little girl, confronts typical school challenges and learning barriers, yet strives to find solace and supports from her friends and teachers. These elements are brilliantly woven into the classic Nutcracker narrative, striking a chord with the audience's own childhood memories. YEH champions the idea that "ballet is an art form that should resonate with and delight audiences from ages 8 to 80."

The narrative continues with the theme "Growing through the Wonder Journey" in this second production. Here, the girl faces increasing academic pressures and setbacks but also discovers richer friendships and dreams. As she overcomes obstacles crafted by the antagonists, her friends rally around and foster her resilience.  These bittersweet experiences of growing up turn into the wonder journeys setting out from the Snowflake Kingdom with passion as the original aims of this production. Despite the absence of dialogue, the ballet powerfully conveys the protagonist’s emotions and life story through the dance, allowing the audience to engage fully in her transformation at those pivotal festive moments.

This Taiwanese adaptation of The Nutcracker offers a compelling reason for families to unite and celebrate during the holiday season. It invites audiences, even in Taiwan's subtropical climate, to dive into the icy realms and fairy-tale festivities that are usually beyond our reach. (written by Stella TSAI)

  Pre-talk  

2024/12/21(Sat)19:00 Concert Hall 3F Lobby

2024/12/22(Sun)14:00 Concert Hall 3F Lobby

  Program  

P. TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker, Ballet in two acts, Op.71 (arr. Ronald Kornfeil)

Act I

Overture

Scene 1 - The Christmas Tree

Scene 2 - March

Scene 4 - Dance Scene & Arrival Of Drosselmeyer

Scene 5 - Scene & Grandfather's Dance

Scene 6 - The Magic Spell Begins

Scene 7 - The Battle Between The Nutcracker & The Mouse King

Scene 8 - Scene In The Pine Forest (Journey Through The Snow)

Scene 9 - Waltz of The Snowflakes

Act II

Scene 10 - The Magic Castle

Scene 11 - Clara & The Prince

Scene 12 - Divertissement, Chocolate - Spanish Dance

Scene 12 - Divertissement, Coffee - Arabian Dance

Scene 12 - Divertissement, Tea - Chinese Dance

Scene 12 - Divertissement, Trepak

Scene 14 - Pas de Deux - Dance of The Prince & the Sugar-Plum Fairy

Scene 14 - Variation I- Tarantella

Scene 14 - Variation II - Dance Of The Sugar-Plum Fairy

Scene 14 - Coda

Scene 15 - Final Waltz & Apotheosis

  Creative and Production Team  

Production Consultant｜CHOU Shu-yi

Choreographer & Playwright｜YEH Ming-hwa

Artistic Consultant & Costume Consultant｜LIN Ching-ju

Conductor｜CHANG Yin-fang

Stage Designer｜CHEN Wei-kuang

Lighting Designer｜KUO Chien-hao

Ballet Master｜Liyin CHEN, CHUNG Chang-hung

Rehearsal Pianist｜TSAUR Ming-tsang

Rehearsal Assistant｜CHUNG Chang-hung, CHENG Tzu-tung

Dancer｜LEE Ting-yu, SHEN Pei-yin, ZHOU Ting-jia, LIN Chia-chun, TANG Wan-yu, HSU Wen-hsuan, HSU Shih-ching, HSU Chih-yen, HUANG Yen-lin, HUANG Yu-mien, TSAI Yi-tsen, CHENG Tzu-tung, SHIUE Ren-kai

*Costumes are co-produced through the Project of Ballet Costume Design and Produce, by the collaboration between National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and Dept. of Theatrical Design & Technology, TNUA.

Musicians

Violin｜TSAI I-yun、TSAI Mu-Ying

Viola｜HSIEH Yi-chen 

Cello｜HSUEH Ya-wen

Double Bass｜HSU Tzu-yun

Oboe｜CHEN Pin-Hui

Flute｜LIN Shang-jung

Clarinet｜LIN Yu-chien

Clarinet / Bass Clarinet｜LUO Zhi-yuan

Bassoon｜CHEN I-wen

Horn｜WANG Yu-zu

Trumpet｜LIU Yu-chun

Trombone｜CHEN Yu-huey

Harp｜KUANG Yi-wen

Percussion｜LIN Wei-chen、HUANG Tzu-ting

Celesta｜TSAUR Ming-tsang

  About Into the Fantasy of Nutcracker  

"The complexities and beauty of reality are mirrored in the dream world. Some aspects appear more beautiful, while others take on a darker tone; everything transforms into characters and plotlines within the story. Growing up is akin to The Nutcracker, imbued with "courage" and "fantasy," with people and events along the way adding diverse hues to the journey. Through the companionship of fairy tales, the magic seeps into reality, supporting us step by step as we continue to grow and learn. In wondrous winter, we all embody the spirit of the girl who meets the Nutcracker, allowing the story to infuse us with limitless courage."

-- YEH Ming-hwa

  About TCHAIKOVSKY and PETIPA's The Nutcracker  

In 1891, TCHAIKOVSKY composed the music for the ballet "The Nutcracker" based on HOFFMANN's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The ballet choreographed by PETIPA evolved into the widely known modern version, exuding warmth and childlike wonder. The story of The Nutcracker unfolds during the hope-filled Christmas season when the protagonist, Clara, receives a Nutcracker as a gift. Once everyone has fallen asleep, the Nutcracker transforms into a prince, and he embarks on a fantastical journey with Clara. Together, they battle the Mouse Army, defeat the Mouse King, and explore the enchanting realms of the Snow and Sugar Plum Kingdoms. Amid the feasts and celebrations, Clara gradually awakens to find it was all a dream. For over two centuries, the story of The Nutcracker has captivated people with its sincerity and mystical allure, serving as a key that unlocks the boundless world of imagination.

  Teams Introduction  

Production Consultant｜CHOU Shu-yi

From a corporeal perspective, CHOU Shu-yi uses dance as a language to communicate with the world and attentively observes the relationship between people and social environments. In his past creations and actions, he maximized the uniqueness of interdisciplinary thinking, which was well reflected in his depictions of the publicness of the arts. His creation focuses on a strong inquiry into the value of life, expresses different statuses of an individual or a crowd within different social contexts, provides a "corporeal lexicon peculiar to Asia," and manifests itself in the forms of theater, non-conventional theater, and dance video art. He continues to travel around different places through artist residencies. Invited to be Weiwuying Artist-in-Residence since 2020, he has been appointed as the curator of Taiwan Dance Platform for 2022 and 2024.

Choreographer & Playwright｜YEH Ming-hwa

Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Ming-hwa received her BFA in Dance from Taipei National University of Arts in 2006. Ming-hwa maps the dimensions of time and space through the body and senses. In 2019-2020 she was invited in Museum of Human Emotions Project, presented by Centro per la Scena Contemporanea, Bassano del Grappa (IT), La Briqueterie CDCN, Val-de Marne (FR), Saison Foundation (JP),  and National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) (TW) performed in public space. The House Behind the Wall was commissioned by Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan at Wang Da Hong House Theatre in 2020 and won the Grand Prize of 19th Taishin Arts Award in 2021. Dancing Ballet, in collaboration with Kaohsiung City Ballet, commissioned the creation of Taiwan Dance Platform, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) in 2022.

Artistic Consultant & Costume Consultant｜LIN Ching-ju

As a renowned senior costume designer in Taiwan, Ching-ju Lin has worked in theatre for more than forty years.  The over three hundred productions she has participated in show a great diversity ranging from modern theatre, traditional theatre, opera, dance theatre, puppet theatre, children's theatre, and interdisciplinary collaboration, in which she amazes us with her impressive creativity.  Her recent devotion includes training a younger generation of theatre technicians, while she also spends a great amount of time sharing her experiences of art and theatre.  

In 1992, Sponsored by Fulbright Scholarship and Cultural and Arts Foundation, Lin studied and traveled in New York that year, while during the trip she also worked in the costume department in productions of New York City Ballet as well as the 50th anniversary production of New York City Opera.  She was the recipient of the 10th National Cultural and Arts Award in 2006.

Conductor｜CHANG Yin-fan

CHANG Yin-fang was assistant conductor and resident conductor of the Taiwan Philharmonic (NSO) from 2006 to 2022. She is good at various cross-industry collaborations, all of which are well received. In addition, CHANG is actively involved in the publication of contemporary Asian music works. In 2018, she was invited to conduct the opening concert of the Asia-Pacific Music Festival and premiered the works of several composers. Her recent appearances include conducting new productions, such as The Man with the Compound Eyes and Tannhäuser (chamber version). In recent years, CHANG has been invited to cooperate with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong , Taipei Chinese Orchestra, Taiwan Philharmonic (NSO), Tainan Symphony Orchestra and Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra.

Stage Designer｜CHEN Wei-kuang

Born in Tainan. Graduated from NTU Drama Department and obtained M.F.A. in the Taipei University of the Arts. Nominee of the Taishin Arts Award and winner of a bronze award at a stage design competition in South Korea. In 2017, he was nominated for the W.S.D. (World Stage Design) of the World Theater Competition with the stage design of Persistence of Memory. CHEN has served as a stage specialist at National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts(Weiwuying) since 2018 and has participated in the design and technical planning of Weiwuying's productions and outdoor performances.

Lighting Designer｜KUO Chien-hao

KUO Chien-hao discovered his first lighting design at the National Taiwan University of Arts where he graduated in drama, and later received his MFA degree. He holds over 20 years' experience as a professional lighting technician and designer. His lighting design works include Summer Jazz, Opera-Studio series for NTCH, TEDx Taipei, Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival -Verdi's La Traviata, The Hero Academy I & III, 2017-2021 Concert of the Presidential Office, Weiwuying opening season - Bernstein's Candide, and National Symphony Orchestra Opera Concert - Lehar's Die lustige Witwe, Puccini's Madama Butterfly. KUO’s work "La traviata" and dance production "Identity" were selected for 2017 and 2022 World Stage Design, Professional designers-Lighting design category. He is now the head of the lighting team in National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying).