Monday, January 3, 2011

Honey, I shrunk the nutcracker!


Next up in my series based on The Nutcracker ballet is Clara. As you may recall, she's the young girl who receives a nutcracker as a gift from Herr Drosselmeyer, a guest at her parents' holiday party. At the stroke of midnight, the nutcracker comes to life and does battle with the Mouse King. Only with Clara's intervention does the nutcracker emerge triumphant, and then is magically transformed into a handsome prince.

Interestingly, in my research on the ballet, I learned that various dance companies interpret the role of Clara in different ways. Some follow the original story, casting a young girl in the part; others choose an adult as Clara, who then in Act II dances the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy as well. As you can see, my design follows the original story, with Clara decked out in her party dress. The nutcracker she's cradling in her arms is a miniature of the one I've stitched in previous posts.

3 comments:

Possibilities, Etc. said...

I think only a young girl would have this wonderful fantasy. You have unbelievable detail in that tiny nutcracker, and I look forward to seeing the stitching begin.

Cool City Stitcher said...

It's beautiful, and the way I remember Clara.. this one will go on my list of favorites!

Anonymous said...

I certainly loved the story when I was a little girl!