The Nutcracker and other Holiday Traditions!
30 Nov 2009, written by Erin Stringer 0 Comments
First article by Erin Stringer, VancouverMom.ca contributor! Find out how you can become a VancouverMom.ca contributor.
This year, like the last few Christmases have, has sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. I’m used to the store windows being done up in trees trimmed with festive bows and mannequins wearing sequined holiday party gowns as soon as the Halloween decorations are dumped in the clearance bin, but this year seems like it crept up even more quickly.
Part of the fun lies in our Vancouver Christmas tradition: riding the miniature train to see the millions of twinkling lights during Bright Nights in Stanley Park (November 27 to January 2, closed Christmas Day), 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm), the Rogers Santa Claus Parade (Sunday, December 6, 1:00pm), and watching the beloved holiday tradition The Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker
This year The Nutcracker takes place from December 17 – 20 at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts. The Nutcracker is produced by the Vancouver Goh Ballet Society, who is spending a whopping $700,000 on this year’s production.
The Nutcracker takes the audience on a journey through the Land of Snow, the Land of Sweets, and to the Sugar Plum Fairy, as Clara and her nutcracker fight the Mouse King and his army of evil mice. From the opening in the grand Stahlbaum house during their annual Christmas party, to the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier dancing their beautiful Pas De Deux, The Nutcracker is a festive, storybook tale with elaborate costumes, elegance and drama, and beautiful sets.
The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice,” which was written by E.T.A. Hoffman. The stage performances we see today are slightly different in detail from the original, however, the basic plot remains the same. The very first performance of the ballet was held together with Tchaikovsky’s last opera Iolanta on December 18, 1892, at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Visit the Goh Ballet web site for more information. Photo Credit: David Cooper.
What are your Christmas traditions? Here are a few other Vancouver holiday happenings to take the family on this year:
Granville Island Holiday Festivities
Bring the kids on Saturdays and Sundays from December 5 to 25. There will be a variety of music, performances, kids activities and special events in Triangle Square, and mom and dad can find some unique holiday gifts among the numerous merchants on the Island.
Visit the Granville Island web site for more information.
Christmas at Canada Place
Seeing the light show at the five white has been a Christmas tradition for 22 years. See the sails lit up with different colours, lights and animation each night from Stanley Park, Coal Harbour, the North Shore, Gastown and the Carol Ships.
Carol Ships Parade of Lights
From December 4 to 23, enjoy a tradition that began 49 years ago with one boat decorated with Christmas lights. Now, there are over 50 decorated boats that will glide through Vancouver’s waterways, decorated with thousands of lights and joined by thousands of singers. You can either buy tickets to be on the carol ships to join in song, or watch from the shore.
For more information, visit www.carolships.org.
Erin Stringer has been a freelance writer for over 10 years, and her work has appeared in various online and offline publications. She enjoys writing about all that Vancouver has to offer.
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