Rising Star Dance Studio, one of Bangkok's leading centres for ballet, is staging The Nutcracker Ballet at M Theatre, New Phetchaburi Road, on March 5 at 3pm.
Based on The Nutcracker And The Mouse King, a story written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffmann, The Nutcracker Ballet premiered at the Imperial Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia, on Dec 18, 1892. The classic musical score, The Nutcracker Suite, was composed for the ballet by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The ballet was first performed outside Russia in England in 1934. The first complete performance in the US was on Dec 24, 1944, by the San Francisco Ballet and they have performed it every Christmas since.
George Balanchine's 1954 staging of the ballet with the New York City Ballet set the Christmas tradition. It has now become the world's most-performed ballet.
The upcoming production will run for two acts and see Akira Puthisarnchai dancing the roles of both the Sugarplum Fairy and the Snow Queen. She will be partnered by Chanakarn "Toy" Panpijit, Thailand's premier male ballet danseur.
Studying ballet at Rising Star at the age of three, Akira graduated from Chulalongkorn University with honours, majoring in Western dance. She has just returned from one year's pre-professional training with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and a season of performing with The New Ballet in San Jose, California.
Rising Star's associate director Yuko Nakamura, who danced the lead role in 2004 and 2014 productions, imparts her exquisite artistry and years of experience mentoring this year's dancers, including her daughter Akira. Nakamura previously trained and performed with San Francisco Ballet, the oldest ballet company in the US.
The role of Uncle Droselmeyer will be danced by Padparascha Kaewploy, a professor at Rajabhat Suan Sunandha University who danced in Italy's Teatro Oplas. Also joining the stage will be more than 50 students, the youngest aged four, from over 15 nationalities.
Tickets cost 950 baht. Part of the proceeds from the performances will benefit the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand.
For reservations, email risingstardancestudio@gmail.com or call 081-908-3931 and 081-553-0656.
The Nutcracker Ballet. photos courtesy of Rising Star Dance Studio
