How the Boston Ballet brings Mother Ginger to life in "The Nutcracker"
Every holiday season, Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles thrill Boston Ballet audiences who come to see "The Nutcracker."
Artist Schuyler Wijsen has been dancing the role for four years.
He said, "Nutcracker is a very busy time for Boston Ballet and for the dancers and we're always kind of running from one world to another. And whenever I get to step into Momma G, it's nice to just have a moment to be with the kids and kind of remember why you're doing it in the first place."
Becoming the character is a process involving many others, and that's not just to ensure the make-up and wig are perfect. A 24-foot aluminum hoop creates the frame of the 50-pound skirts. Wijsen explained that getting into it is a team effort.
"You're up on this high stool and two different dressers are putting you into your stilts. And then after that, you stand up and they load down the dress over your head. Everyone's snapping you in."
Once the costume is secure, the eight Boston Ballet School students, known as the Polichinelles, can hide underneath.
"It's completely dark for them under the dress," said Wijsen. "They have to walk in unison. And so there have been times where maybe they've stepped on a portion of the dress, or somebody got close to getting stepped on by one of the stilts, and you kind of can't see what's going on below your feet."
For the young dancers, Wijsen's support means the world.
Aliya Lambright said, "He always likes to make us feel better, like before we get on. He's like 'Good job you guys got this,' and he's really nice about it."
It's something Wijsen enjoys as well.
"Just on stage and even before, the camaraderie is so strong. It's one of those moments where you really feel the community on stage, and you kind of see the next generation that you're helping bring forward into the ballet, and that's really special," Wijsen said.
Bringing childhood dreams to life
The young dancers also know they can have an impact on the audience.
Gianna DeLuca told WBZ-TV, as a child, "seeing the Nutcracker was really magical because I thought that one day that would be me. And now it is."
Honoka Imada added, "It's a really exciting experience for me because I get to like perform in front of all those adults and those children and making magical moments."
"The connection with the students is really what keeps it going," said Wijsen. "'Nutcracker' is such a beast of a ballet, such a marathon for us dancers, and it's really sweet bringing it to Boston audiences, but kind of getting to interact with the children directly and see the future of dance is what makes it really, really special."
You can see Boston Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker" at the Citizens Opera House through December 28th.