No Christmas season is complete without Uncle Drosselmeyer. He gives Clara a nutcracker as a gift at his Christmas party. Without the nutcracker, Clara can’t go on her journey to the Sugar Plum Fairy’s castle, which looks like Louisiana’s Old State Capitol for one dance company. Three dance companies will perform different versions of “The Nutcracker” this year — Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, Cangelosi Dance Project, and Lafayette Ballet Theatre. Baton Rouge Ballet’s “A Tale From The Bayou” is set in Baton Rouge. The original Nutcracker ballet is based on a novella by E.T.A. Hoffmann. It includes nearly 300 cast members and performances with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. The role of Clara will be danced by Mary Harper Hart, Sara Jane Booty, and Aisleigh Dufrene. Lindsey Donnell and Elias Re from the Dance Theatre of Harlem will join as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. The production captures Louisiana’s Christmas spirit.
