A new production of “The Nutcracker” at Pasadena Dance Theater preserves the beloved holiday tradition while reshaping its story and imagery for contemporary audiences. Choreographer Jessamyn Vedro centers Clara’s coming-of-age journey and reframes culturally themed dances with greater nuance and authenticity, aiming for a professional-caliber performance by student and young professional dancers.
Vedro, a lawyer and law firm partner who grew up at Pasadena Dance Theater, said she felt the traditional version, “while heartwarming and a great tradition,” no longer resonates with modern audiences as it once did. She chose to “draw from the original short story…by Hoffman and focus on the character, the primary character of Clara and her sort of coming of age story,” making Clara slightly older so an advanced student dancer can carry the narrative.
In this staging, Clara is an active protagonist, “truly orchestrating what’s happening” and “in a lucid dream state, recognizing that she is the person who’s creating this dream for herself.”
The second act sends her on a dream journey through Spain, Egypt, China, Ukraine, and Scotland, with choreography grounded in classical ballet but informed by Ukrainian folk dance and authentic Chinese dance, avoiding stereotypes while honoring Tchaikovsky’s culturally styled score.
Vedro, who trained at Pasadena Dance Theater, American Ballet Theater in New York, and San Francisco Ballet School, said classical technique remains “the absolute cornerstone of any successful dancer,” even as she creates “novel shapes” and movement drawn from a wide range of aesthetics. She hopes audiences leave with both nostalgia and the sense they have seen something “intellectually interesting, nuanced,” in which characters “really came to life” and dancers felt part of “something that has cultural value.”
Pasadena Dance Theater. Location: 1985 East Locust Street, Pasadena. Phone:(626) 683-3459 and Email: info@pasadenadancetheatre.org. Website : https://www.pasadenadancetheatre.org/
