With sustained applause, the audience celebrated the first performance of The Nutcracker with the CND

The first function of The nutcracker It passed with a sustained ovation; even before the curtain had finished closing. The applause, long and insistent, celebrated the execution of the assembly and the shared emotion of returning to a ritual that, every December, summons generations. This is how the public responded to this version by the National Dance Company (CND), which this Thursday brought together representatives of the press and special guests at the National Auditorium. The energy in the room intensified, especially after the return of intermission.

In the seats, the children reacted with contagious spontaneity: they swayed, moved their feet and followed the rhythms. The sounds of the harp, violins, and full orchestra seemed to guide them. The adults, attentive, looked for the best angle to record fragments of the show.

Before the show began, some journalists and parents agreed on the importance of this type of experience. “Knowing these works through fragments on television or radio is not the same as experiencing them here,” commented one of them.

Another added that direct contact with music, theater and dance awakens the curiosity and interest of the youngest. “The stage, the costumes, the live orchestra, all of that leaves its mark.”

There were also those who arrived with the fatigue of the journey on their backs.

The maintenance of the Auditorio Metro station and the partial closures on Reforma Avenue caused crowds and delays. However, once the show was underway, the discomfort was left behind.

“It was worth it to be here after all,” said one woman as she watched the reactions of the children around her, who applauded, swayed in their seats, or responded with amazement to each scenic change. “They are the best thermometer,” someone else commented.

The CND version brings together the choreography of the Polish master Nina Novak, based on the original by Lev Ivanov, and the immortal score of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed live by the Fine Arts Theater Orchestra, conducted by the Azerbaijani Ayyub Guliyev.

Its reading brought precision and expressive force to music that, more than a century after its premiere, continues to be one of the emotional pillars of ballet.

The staging includes the participation of students from the Academy of Mexican Dance and the National School of Classical and Contemporary Dance, who play Clara, Fritz, soldiers, mice, chocolates and little angels, joining the cast with discipline and freshness.

Although the afternoon was accompanied by a light breeze and the cold of the season, nothing interrupted the concentration or attention in the room.

Unexpected surprises

Premiered in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg, The nutcracker It places its story at the end of the 19th century, the time of the composer Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), and is inspired by the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816), de ETA Hoffmann.

The plot takes place on Christmas Eve, when Clara and her brother, Fritz, receive wonderful toys from their godfather, toymaker Herr Drosselmeyer, who prepares unexpected surprises for them on a magical night.

Since its arrival at the National Auditorium in 2001, the production has had 228 performances and has attracted more than a million spectators, consolidating itself as a milestone for ballet in the Mexican capital.

The scenery recovers the splendor of the 19th century with a contemporary language, accompanies the narrative of the play and reinforces its character as a Christmas classic celebrated on a global scale.

Renovated in 2017 to adapt to the dimensions of the venue, the production brings together the scenic design by Sergio Villegas, the costumes by María and Tolita Figueroa and the lighting by Laura Rode.

The nutcracker will offer performances until December 23; Tickets can be purchased through the Ticketmaster system.