Pytor Tchaikovsky’s 1982 two-act ballet has been described as “the eternal fantasy of Christmas come to life.” So Gulfshore Ballet Artistic Director Iliana Lopez is thrilled to bring “The Nutcracker” to three venues this holiday season.
“We have December 7th at the St. John’s Evangelist Church in Naples,” said Lopez. “We have two shows there, one at 12 noon and one at 6:30. Then on December 14th, we’ll be at BIG ARTS, Sanibel, and then on December 21st, we’ll be at the Barbara B. Mann with the Gulf Coast Symphony, again with two shows, one at 2 p.m. and one at 6:30 p.m.”
One difference from last year is the inclusion of Gulfshore Ballet’s own professional dancers in the roles of the Snow King and Queen, the Cavalier, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince.
“They came from other countries,” said Lopez. “We’re sponsoring them to stay here and they are professional dancers. They are very, very beautiful and technical and I think the audiences are going to love them. They are really fantastic dancers and we’re very proud to say that they’re our own.”
Their presence not only elevates the skill of the ballet school students in this performance, but also enables Lopez and husband Franklin Gamero to make their choreography even more challenging and refined.
“We always have to make our choreography better,” said Lopez. “So we added a lot of exciting new elements. This year, now the Spanish dance is a pas de deux instead of one girl alone, and also the Arabian dance is going to be a pas de deux instead of one lady alone. It’s really wonderful to have men that can do the pas de deux section partnering with some of our students as well…. It’s wonderful to see our girls having the ability to perform at this caliber with a male dancer that is really, really good and will make them look even more beautiful.”
MORE INFORMATION:
Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky based his Nutcracker Ballet on Alexandre (“The Three Musketeers”) Dumas’ 1844 adaptation of an 1816 holiday story by E.T.A. Hoffmann.
The story follows a young girl named Clara, who creeps downstairs on Christmas Eve to play with her favorite gift, a nutcracker. A mysterious magician by the name of Drosselmeyer is waiting to whisk her off on a magical adventure. After defeating the villainous Mouse King, Clara and the nutcracker fly on a golden sleigh through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy serves up a dazzling display of dances, including her own. Back at home in bed, Clara is convinced it must all have been a dream. But was it?
The ballet was first performed at the Marrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, in December of 1892. The reviews weren’t complimentary.
Ever his own worst critic, Tchaikovsky thought little of it, labeling it boring and “infinitely worse than Sleeping Beauty.” But in reality, the ballet’s inaugural performance was marred by substandard choreography, a mundane set and costumes and an uninspired performance by the ballerina who danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Since then, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker has set the standard for magnificent over-the-top costumes and sets, captivating choreography and breathtaking dancing. It is now the most performed ballet, bar none, and a Christmastime staple.
The two-act ballet is the highlight of Gulf Coast Symphony Maestro Andrew Kurtz's holiday season. There are many reasons.
“Well first of all Tchaikovsky is an amazing composer,” says Kurtz. “I’ve loved Tchaikovsky since I was a small child, and this is just a classic Tchaikovsky score, these majestic moments in the music and tremendous energy and great flourishes, which are all mirrored, of course, in the dance.”
The music is so uplifting and exciting that everyone in the orchestra relishes the chance to perform The Nutcracker each year in spite of the fact that they’re crammed into an under-sized pit that prevents them from seeing the beautiful costumes, sets and pageantry unfolding on stage.
“It’s like seeing a close friend who comes only once a year,” Kurtz observed in 2023. “Of course, there’s always new players every year having first experiences. But [for the rest of us] it’s always great coming back to the score.”
"The Nutcracker" is not just a tradition for Gulf Coast Symphony. It’s become an event that’s eagerly anticipated locally by people who love classical music, ballet and just plain old great holiday entertainment.
“The most exciting thing for me about 'The Nutcracker' is we’ve really made it a Southwest Florida tradition,” commented Kurtz.
While it will not be accompanied by the symphony at Saint John The Evangelist Church, this will mark the first time Gulfshore Ballet has performed
"The Nutcracker" anywhere in Naples.
“We hope to build new audiences in Naples, and we hope they fall in love with Gulfshore Ballet,” Lopez said.
Saint John The Evangelist Church is located at 625 111th Ave N., Naples.
There will be no actual set for the Saint John’s performance. Instead, the backdrop will be provided via projections.
Gulfshore Ballet performed at BIG ARTS prior to Hurricane Ian. “So we are actually very happy to return to this venue because it is a very, very beautiful theater. It's a gorgeous stage; about 450 seats; state-of-the-art modern wonderful stage floor, so it really suits us well. And we’re happy to bring some arts to that community again, and we hope that they rebuild soon.," Lopez said.
There will be both props and sets for the performances at BIG ARTS and the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.
In addition to the school, Gulfshore Ballet is now also a professional ballet company with paid performers. Three of those professionals appear in this year’s rendition of “The Nutcracker:” Kaique Barbosa in the roles of the Snow King, the Cavalier and the Arabian Pas de Deux; Zoila Pena portrays the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy; and Madson Luis is the Soldier Doll, Nutcracker Prince and Spanish Pas de Deux.
The presence of professional dancers at the ballet school serves as an inspiration to the student dancers.
“Our students will learn a lot from seeing them every day and seeing how they work and how it’s supposed to be done and their etiquette and how they behave,” said Iliana Lopez. “It’s a wonderful example for our students to have these wonderful dancers here dancing with them every day, every show and teaching them as well sometimes. It really makes a big difference. It’s our ambition to have one very high-quality level of dancing that we present to our community in a wonderful way.”
Lopez is thrilled to bring Gulfshore Ballet to new communities and introduce her students and professional dancers to new audiences.
“It’s exciting for us to bring the arts to different communities, and maybe we can get more supporters and people that get interested in supporting us and seeing our quality of dancing.”
In fact, St. John the Evangelist Church invited Gulfshore Ballet to perform there after seeing the company perform at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.
“So things are opening up, and that’s the idea, that we do more and more,” including an upcoming performance of "The Sleeping Beauty" ballet on March 15 that is part of Opera Naples’ Festival Under the Stars; "Coppelia" (considered one of the greatest comic ballets of the 19th century) with Gulf Coast Symphony on May 4 at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall and May 3 at the Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point without the live symphony orchestra; and "Carmen" in October, also at the Tribby Arts Center.
Gulfshore Ballet was founded by Melinda Roy, a former Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet. Roy operated the school for 10 years, setting the foundation for Gulfshore Ballet to provide classical dance training and education of the highest caliber. Roy retired in 2011, but Gulfshore Ballet was fortunate to have former Miami City Ballet Principal Dancers Franklin Gamero and Iliana Lopez take over as artistic directors.
Iliana Lopez and Franklin Gamero were born in Valencia, Venezuela. They began their careers at Ballet Nacional Teatro Teresa Carreño. Both went on to dance at San Francisco Ballet, Cleveland Ballet and as soloists with the Deutsche Opera Berlin and the Deutsche Opera am Rhein in Düsseldorf. In 1987, they became principal dancers with Miami City Ballet, where they remained for 18 successful years.
Lopez and Gamero launched Gulfshore Ballet’s professional company in 2023. It debuted with a performance of “Carmen” during the Opera Naples Festival Under the Stars in March of 2024. Lopez and Gamero's exemplary reputation worldwide, along with their exclusive access to the repertoire of famed choreographer Jimmy Gamonet de los Heros, gives Florida Gulfshore Ballet unique appeal to top dancers with international reputations who are looking to advance their careers.
