Miami City Ballet Presents a Whimsical New Take on New York City Ballet’s Original Nutcracker Costumes

The first performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker^®by New York City Ballet was on February 2, 1954, in New York City, and many of the original costume designs are still used in the production to this day.

Miami City Ballet’s new production of this classic holiday tradition features the original Balanchine choreography with reimagined sets and costumes by Cuban-American artist/designer couple Isabel and Ruben Toledo. Yet, how do these new designs compare with the costumes used in New York City Ballet‘s original production?

See a sneak peek of the magic for yourself below, and be sure to secure your tickets for this special holiday production when it lands at The Music Center, Nov. 30 – Dec. 2.

Act I

Harlequin & Columbine Doll

The Waltz of the Snowflakes

Toy Soldiers

Mice Heads

Act II

Dance of the Marzipan

Angels

Dew Drop

Waltz of the Flowers

Spanish Hot Chocolate

In the original New York City Ballet production, the principal dancer in the Spanish Hot Chocolate number wears a pendant with choreographer George Balanchine’s portrait.

Mother Ginger

Sugar Plum Fairy

Grand Pas de Deux – Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® by Miami City Ballet

The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

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Photo Credits:

Miami City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo © Alexander Iziliaev.

New York City Ballet photos by Driely S. for Racked.

Offstage + Unbound: Episode 11 – An Interview with Lourdes Lopez, Miami City Ballet

In the eleventh installment of “Offstage and Unbound,” The Music Center’s President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with Lourdes Lopez, artistic director of Miami City Ballet. Over the course of a year, Lopez worked closely with designers Isabel and Ruben Toledo to create a newly redesigned George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®.

Lopez became artistic director of Miami City Ballet in September 2012, bringing with her a nearly 40-year career in dance, television, teaching and arts management. As a Soloist and Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet, she danced for two legends of the art form, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.

artburst_nt_lourdes_firebird — Lourdes Lopez in New York City Ballet’s *Firebird.*

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Offstage + Unbound: Episode 10 – An Interview with Isabel and Ruben Toledo

In this special tenth installment of “Offstage and Unbound,” The Music Center’s President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with celebrated Cuban-American artist/designer couple Isabel and Ruben Toledo, the geniuses behind the unique style of the new George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® by Miami City Ballet. Over the course of a year, the Toledos were responsible for designing dozens of sets and 150 costumes that will belong to this new Nutcracker (with a world premiere at The Music Center on December 7, 2017.) Strongly anchored in Cuban culture yet highly individualistic, the Toledos were inspired by the original New York City Ballet designs, Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky’s timeless score and Balanchine’s iconic choreography.