THE NUTCRACKER Survival Guide
by Eva Kahn
When is the right time to start playing holiday music? The day after Halloween or the day after Thanksgiving? For dancers, the holiday season begins even earlier — at the start of October — with rehearsals for THE NUTCRACKER.
THE NUTCRACKER is a winter staple in ballet schools and dance companies across the United States, and Ballet Austin’s rollicking and dazzling production is one of Austin’s favorite holiday traditions.
While many people spend December at holiday parties, dancers spend the entire month in the theater. Between costume fittings, dress rehearsals, and performances, many Ballet Austin dancers have to adapt their holiday traditions to work around their rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule.
We asked Ballet Austin dancers Chelsea Marie Renner, Jaime Lynn Witts, Witts’ daughter, Evaline Shott, to share their secrets on surviving the month of December and keeping the magic alive both onstage and off.
Jaime Lynn Witts and Evaline Shott
How do you celebrate the holiday season while performing in THE NUTCRACKER?
WITTS: Our holiday traditions start early because of THE NUTCRACKER. We always watch the Macy’s Day Parade and after Thanksgiving, we get a tree. We like to spend that time together so that we have a good solid chunk of time before it kind of gets crazy.
But we always set aside time to go to the Trail of Lights too. We pick a day ahead of time that I’ll have off in the evening. And we always go to see Santa…
EVALINE: At the mall! We watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas when we’re decorating the tree. I make the reindeer food — oatmeal and sparkles. We also leave cookies and milk and carrots. And I write a note. It’s different every year. I remember one year I asked for a stuffed animal and I got a teddy bear that’s mama’s size. It’s humongous.
What does THE NUTCRACKER mean to you?
EVALINE: It means a lot to me to see Momma in THE NUTCRACKER when I go. I feel happy when I see her dance. My favorite part is probably the Trepak and the Chocolate dances.
I came backstage one year. It was very crazy! In the audience, I only hear the music and I see the dancers, but when I’m backstage, I see them getting ready and I hear them talking.
Next year I won’t be going to watch THE NUTCRACKER, I’ll be in it. Hopefully. I can audition next year when I’m in Level 2.
WITTS: I’ve been in THE NUTCRACKER since I was her age. And I was pregnant with her when I played the role of Clara’s Mom.
There’s a lot of magic happening onstage, so what do you do to keep up the holiday cheer backstage?
WITTS: I guess we wear holiday colors a lot. We like to bake so a lot of times we’ll bring stuff in to share with everybody. Evie and I video chat backstage every night, so that we’re connected that way. Everybody’s usually writing Christmas cards, and talking about what they’re gonna do the day after. Sometimes if we travel, then the day after THE NUTCRACKER closes, everyone’s at the airport, at the same time in the morning. All the dancers, we’re all trying to catch the same flight to get home to our families.
Chelsea Marie Renner
RENNER: The day after Thanksgiving we always go and get our Christmas tree. We have to have it up before THE NUTCRACKER. Back in Montana, we used to drive up to the mountains and go pick out our own tree and cut it down and haul it back down the mountain, so I have stuck to that tradition with my family — not in the mountains because there’re no mountains here. We go to a tree farm or home improvement store, but it can’t be a fake tree.
During the month of December, the other company members become your family because you spend so much time in the theater together. Is there anything you look forward to during that time?
RENNER: Either Dec. 1 or our first day in the theater, I start wearing my holiday earrings. Every single day of the month of December I have to wear my holiday earrings. I don’t have 25 pairs — I probably have 15 — but I get a few more every year.
My favorite are when I get to the jingle bells. I usually save those for the end because when we have company class, you can hear the jingling of my earrings as we’re jumping, which drive some people crazy. They’re actual jingle bells. It makes it exciting coming to the theater for the 100th time.
My other thing is probably baking. I have recipes my mom used to make all the time when I was a kid: candy cane cookies, and Rice Krispie treats. I don’t have any holiday parties to take them to, so I take them to the theater. So everybody can eat cookies at the theater. And they’re soft too, I don’t like crunchy cookies.
Has the Nutcracker always been a holiday staple for you?
RENNER: For as long as I can remember, Nutcracker has been a part of my life and part of the holidays. I started nutcracker when I was 7 or 8, so I think this is my 25th year, minus the year I was pregnant. My mom used to always be in it with me — she was always in party scene with me. I feel like it has to be part of the holidays. It’s not Christmas, it’s not the holidays without Nutcracker.
What does Christmas Eve (post-Nutcracker) mean for you?
RENNER: A lot of ice for the feet, comfy clothes, and Christmas tree decorating.
