Mime Time
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
One of the oldest and most traditional portions of George Balanchine’s “Nutcracker” is the tale that the Nutcracker Prince recounts in mime. Balanchine himself performed this role as a boy in the original production of the ballet, which premiered in 1892 at St. Petersburg’s Maryinsky Theater.
The scene begins when the Nutcracker Prince and Marie arrive in the Land of the Sweets. The Sugarplum Fairy asks what has happened. The prince escorts Marie to the side of the stage and proceeds to explain. He announces that, if everyone will listen, he will tell them everything.
This year, the Prince will be played by two young dancers, School of American Ballet students Jerimy Rivera and Galeb Kayali, who will be dancing it for the first time. Earlier this week, Master Rivera showed us how it’s done (though there’s more to the mime than shown here, and the music aids the telling considerably).
