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Rocky Mountain Dance Theatre's Nutcracker Ballet has been a holiday tradition for Cody and the surrounding area for over 25 consecutive years. Throughout this time, the production has changed in many ways including lighting, costumes, choreography, and so much more. 2019 the changes were drastic, as a new reimagined look began to take hold and on our 25th Anniversary in 2022, the project was fully realized, although still not fully funded.
Executive Director, Elizabeth Fernandez, wanted an intricate, sophisticated, clean look, and that’s exactly what the RMDT team has created. The entire set from the opening to closing has been redesigned by Scenic Designer, Casey Kearns. Our Lighting Designer, of twenty-two years, Charles Houghton, has enhanced the quality of The Nutcracker incrementally, with his unyielding support and contribution of artistic lighting choices. Giving the Nutcracker a sophistication through his lighting vision, the new canvas highlights the artistry of the entire RMDT team. As Elizabeth, Charles, and Casey collectively explored the future of RMDT’s Nutcracker, and its ideation, the new look and feel is more contemporary, a modernized version, if you will, of an old classic.
The design Casey has created is simple but elegant; a new approach to traditional painted scenery used in former productions. This new look provides more emphasis on lighting and the dancers, enhancing their movement, but also provides the necessary background to tell the story. Because ballet’s have no script, they rely on stage sets, choreography, lighting, and pantomime to carry the storyline. This means there must be a precise balance between the technical possibilities and the aesthetic choices to support the choreography of each piece. Casey’s new design highlights lighting and choreography choices, creating a perfect balance.
Although it took several years to fully implement the new design, audience members saw part of the transformation in 2019 with new backdrops for Snow and Land of Sweets, along with new scenery in the Party scene. RMDT is excited about investing into the next twenty-five years of Nutcracker and the Cody Community.
