A black and white photo of a boy and girl standing in a spotlight in the bottom left corner of a dark background.

Act I: Rusty Nickel as Drosselmeyer’s nephew and Alberta Grant as Mary

A black and white photo of a group of children playing tug of war with a nutcracker. A man is standing behind them and talking with his arms gesturing in the air.

Act I: Michael Arshansky as Herr Drosselmeyer

A black and white photo of Alberta Grant hugging a nutcracker in front of a glittery background.

Photo by Zachary Freyman / Courtesy Estate of Bob Kohler, Jerome Robbins Dance Division

Alberta Grant with nutcracker in Act I of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, 1954. Photograph by Zachary Freyman / Courtesy Estate of Bob Kohler.

Act I: Alberta Grant with the Nutcracker

Photo by Zachary Freyman, 1954

Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in.

This print by Freyman perfectly captures the mood of Balanchine’s ballet. Mary’s eyes, heavy-lidded in dreamy contentment, are sharply contrasted with those of the Nutcracker, whose eyes are permanently painted in open pain and surprise. Equally, her lips are closed in a gentle smile while his mouth is unhinged and pointed fangs protrude from his lips. But in the swirling glow of the Christmas tree lights behind them, one can sense that Mary’s love for the Nutcracker transcends physical appearance.

Holding Division: Jerome Robbins Dance Division

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