Clara Not Clara
The ballet THE NUTCRACKER is a holiday staple that annually marks the passing years and the gradual process by which we grow older. In an immersive dance/theater staging this new adaptation of the classic ballet uses Tchaikovsky's music to depict the life-story of a woman (and dancer) named Clara. Her childhood, young adulthood, middle and old age appear simultaneously accompanied by live musicians in a playful yet poignant exploration of coming-of-age-stories, of leaving things unsaid, and of loved ones left behind. Traversing synchronously a single lifetime, CLARA NOT CLARA reinvents the classic narrative for a contemporary audience of all ages, inviting them to wander freely and explore a dreamlike world in which the breadth of life’s emotions and experiences harmoniously coexist.
CLARA NOT CLARA (first presented as A NUTCRACKER: PART 1 in 2014)
Conceived by Katie Rose McLaughlin, Joshua William Gelb, and Ian Axness
Story by Dan O'Neil
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Presented by Designated Movement Company & JV Squad in association with the Knockdown Center and Sprung Wood Solutions
Choreography by Katie Rose McLaughlin
Direction by Joshua William Gelb
Music Arrangements by Ian Axness
Set Design by Sara Walsh
Lighting Design by Josh Smith
Sound Design by Gavin Price
Costume Design by Diego Montoya
Featuring performances by Valda Setterfield, Kaitlyn Gilliland, Lisa Lockwood, Gary Chyst, Pierre Guilbault and introducing Louisa Blakely