Act I: Alberta Grant and unidentified boy
Act I: Rusty Nickel as Drosselmeyer’s nephew and Alberta Grant as Mary
Act I: Michael Arshansky, Rusty Nickel, and Alberta Grant as Herr Drosselmeyer, his nephew, and Mary
Photo by Frederick Melton
Gelatin silver print, 10 x 8 in.
The role of Drosselmeyer’s nephew (alternately known as the Nutcracker Prince) was a new addition to the ballet by Balanchine, changing our understanding of the role of the Nutcracker in significant ways. In the original Petipa and Ivanov version, the Nutcracker is transformed from doll to adult prince, which allowed for technically difficult dancing from the leads in Act II. But in Balanchine’s interpretation the boy is the Nutcracker, making Mary’s love for him more innocent and relatable. Although it is never explicitly stated that the Prince and the nephew are one and the same person, the audience inevitably fills in the gaps.
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