NUTCRACKER EDITION
December 2023
The Akhmedova Ballet Magazine is a product of the collaborative efforts of the students of the Akhmedova Ballet Academy. We wish to spread our ideas and knowledge to connect with others in this uncertain time.
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Every year, ABA presents an annual performance of the Nutcracker, a holiday treat that friends, family, and the dancers themselves look forward to every year. For the first time this year, we had two shows at the MCCAC, one of these was very our first mini-Nutcracker, targeted towards younger audiences (read more about the mini-nut in the following article!). The shows were highly successful, and both were completely sold out. ABA’s main evening show features the Nutcracker with two scenes, then a collection of repertoire and other pieces, including solos, duets, trios, and group pieces from genres ranging from contemporary to character to folk.
Each role in the Nutcracker has its own distinctive features that make it special. Whether it be the flowing ribbons of Chinese or the flare of Spanish, every role is someone’s favorite, even mice, one of my favorite roles. Contrary to what most people may think, I believe that being a mouse is one of the most difficult roles in the show. Being a mouse requires a lot of work and discipline and is not an easy role like many may assume. It demands maintaining a difficult, low, hunched position throughout almost the entire dance, while remaining nimble and quick on a high demi-pointe. On top of this, we performed in a fur costume and a mouse snout that makes breathing harder, and the mouse queen wore a large and heavy mouse head. However, hearing a child laugh in delight from the audience can make us forget all about these burdens, and it makes everything worth it. Hearing support from the audience reminds us of our purpose as performers: to bring joy to our audience during this magical Nutcracker night. Despite how hard it is, we are excited to bring it back every year, and it is one of our favorite parts of Nutcracker season.
Although the show was a great success and an enjoyable memory for us all, there are still always things we could improve upon or could have done differently. Ultimately, everything that happens on stage begins with the preparation. Something extremely important in the preparation for any performance, not just for the Nutcracker, is treating each rehearsal like you are performing. Dancing “full-out” is how we practice for performances, by executing every movement to the fullest of our ability. By doing this often, it builds muscle memory and habits that are reliable on stage when there are many more distractions and unfamiliarity’s. This is not only applied to the choreography, but to expression as well, something that many dancers struggle to maintain during performances, me included. Rehearsing full-out each time is something that I want to work towards, as I think it is a crucial part of ensuring you can give the audience the best performance you can.
From this Nutcracker season, I learned the importance of enjoying each moment and treasuring this amazing opportunity to be able to perform with my friends. Even though this is a tradition that ABA brings back every holiday season, no performance or cast will ever be the same, and it is these small details and differences that make every show precious and memorable. This is truly a unique opportunity that ABA provides, and I am sure that everyone is grateful to be a part of it. With that, the 2023 Nutcracker season comes to an end, and we hope to see you again next year for yet another wondrous and unforgettable Nutcracker night.
REFLECTIONS ON ABA’S NUTCRACKER NIGHT
WITH ELAINE
For the first time ever the Akhmedova Ballet Academy debuted its first Mini-Nut performance. This was a truly special performance for Elementary and Middle school students to enjoy an abbreviated version of the Nutcracker. It was 30 minutes of the most exciting moments of the Nutcracker like the Queen Mouse and all her mice. This production introduces students to the art of dance and music in a fun and interesting way! The excitement of the students in the audience was apparent as they cheered loudly for each of the dolls as they performed for Masha. At the end of our performance the dancers came out on stage and the audience was able to ask the dancers many questions. This was such a wonderful learning experience for the children as they asked about many things such as dancers training, why ballet has no words, and many more interesting questions. The ABA students were able to share with students their love for ballet, the Nutcracker, and the holiday spirit with all the children at the show. At the very end of the show all the students were invited into the lobby to take pictures with all the dancers where they were able to interact and get autographs. Along with this wonderful memory the students went home with a wonderful ABA gift bag full of wonderful gifts. With the price of this production at only five dollars, many students were able to experience an educational and engaging performance. This was the first of many Mini-Nuts to come and we, at ABA, are so excited for the future productions we will be able to share!
Jessica
ABA’S MINI NUT
The Nutcracker, a classical ballet made of two acts, is a holiday tradition to many ballet schools out there in the world. Set in the theme of a magical Christmas night, this ballet spotlights one little girl; Masha. This year, thanks to my supportive teachers of ABA, I had the opportunity to perform the honorable role as Masha.
Being Masha was definitely one of my favorite roles of my 10 years of dancing, although there were many challenges in order to bring this character on stage to shine. It took several hours of rehearsals and practice, along with learning how to manage self-control and persevere through frustration. And of course, dancing through a little pressure was something that was hard for me. For example, pirouettes, a step where a dancer turns on a single leg in the retiré position, was something very challenging for me for the whole Nutcracker season. This took many hours of repetition and practice to achieve, although even in the show the turns were not perfect and steady. As I know I am not a natural turner, I am continuously practicing this step even after Nutcracker has ended.
But of course, there were much, much more exciting moments during this thrilling season. Starting from the overjoyed feeling when I first saw the casting, to the end of the whole show when I felt a rush of disappointment that it had ended, this was all an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience. One of my favorite moments during the performance was definitely the whole party scene. Not only did this scene have many interactions and acting, but it was where I could sense the most engagement, connection, and togetherness throughout the whole theater; from the dancers to the audience. As well as the joy and the excitement, I personally thought that this scene was also very frightening because there were relatively many turns that I had to do. But I think the need to challenge myself was partially another reason why this was my favorite scene. Every dancer would relate to the rush of relief after overcoming their fear.
Another scene I particularly enjoyed was the mice scene. Starting from the candle scene (which was also one of my personal favorites), the whole mice scene was a very magical moment. I too almost laughed when the children that were watching the Mini Nutcracker performance were all giggling and laughing at the swarm of mice. I also enjoyed the partnering scene with the Mouse Queen. It was my first time ever doing partnering and it was a very inspiring experience.
During this season, I realized that the Masha in me is not only just a normal character that everybody knows. It is something that will stay inside me forever and will keep building on as I keep dancing. It is something that will make me shine on stage and help me continue on this everlasting journey. I am so grateful for all the teachers of ABA that gave me an opportunity to experience this magical season.
Ella
In the 2024 Universal Ballet Competition (UBC) I will be performing my first contemporary solo, entitled “Me in Miró”. Joan Miró was a Spanish painter known in the 20th century for his abstract artworks and unique use of lines, shapes and mixed media. He once said “Rather than setting out to paint something, I begin painting and as I paint, the picture begins to assert itself” (www.moma.org).
In my contemporary piece, I will be performing as a young girl visiting the art gallery, and seeing Miró’s work for the first time. This is based on Miró’s 1948 black and white painting titled, “Young Girl”. As I am dancing through the art gallery, I begin to admire the paintings and imitate what I see. Since Miró’s work is abstract, I try to contort my body in abstract ways and use strong facials to interpret the meaning behind the painting. I bounce back between being the young girl to being the actual painting. This is challenging, but I try to imagine myself as the painting and it makes me feel fierce. When I imagine myself as the young girl it makes me feel curious.
I have been working with my teacher and choreographer, Jessica Novakovich, for two months and look forward to presenting this unique piece at UBC in February. I have sincerely enjoyed learning this piece, because of the story behind it and the opportunity to showcase how dance is a form of living and moving art. I believe that Me and Miro demonstrates that connection perfectly.
Charlotte
The Nutcracker is a ballet that is mainly composed of multiple different variations and group dances that contribute to the story of little Masha’s Christmas party and dream throughout two acts. Different variations often have different styles and each and every variation is an important role to play as a dancer.
This year's Akhmedova Ballet Academy Nutcracker Night show, I played the role of the Nutcracker doll. The Nutcracker doll is a doll that is brought to life in the first act during the party scene. In the party scene, everyone is bustling with excitement over new gifts when Masha finds out that she had no gift at all. This is when Herr Drosselmeyer presents the handheld Nutcracker doll as a special holiday gift to Masha. When Herr Drosselmeyer tells a story to Masha and her friends, he brings the Nutcracker doll to life.
The Nutcracker doll variation is very sharp and strong. For me, sharpness is a challenge because you need to use the right amount of control and strength to freeze for every step. The movements during the dance are stiff, which mimics how a life-sized doll would be alive. The accents and beats in the music also add to the performance and the emotions the audience feels during the dance. For the audience, I would assume it to feel frightful and engaging. For me as the dancer, the music gives adrenaline and a sort of base and stable structure for me to accompany if I feel nervous on stage. The Nutcracker doll variation also includes holding a toy sword while dancing. The prop builds the image of the idea of a Nutcracker doll, being a protector for outside evils. Physically, the sword was not so easy to dance with as it added extra weight for my arms to hold, but the extra weight also helped me to gain more arm strength. Personally, I loved dancing the Nutcracker doll, but my favorite aspect was being able to dance a role that the ballet was named after.
I am overjoyed and so very happy to have been able to dance the role of the Nutcracker doll this year. I thank my ABA teachers for this opportunity and look forward to more ABA Nutcracker Night shows to come.
Erin
INTO THE VARIATION
WITH ELLA, CHARLOTTE AND ERIN
Celebrating the holidays at ABA can often be found as our dancers’ favorite part of the year, since we celebrate in a variety of fun and entertaining ways. A long held tradition at this studio has been Secret Santa, while a more recent tradition has been including holiday themed jump rope choreographies within Saturday cardio classes. As each of these activities lead up to our exciting Nutcracker shows near the end of the holiday season, we always conclude the year with a bang, continuing to party the day after our shows at “Madame and Dale’s Residency” during our annual Holiday Celebration.
To start off the festivities, we have Secret Santa, a joyful gift exchange that lasts through the span of around a month. You might say that a month is a long time for this silly little game, but here at ABA, we take these gift exchanges very seriously. Therefore, the time given is the perfect amount to complete the whole process: fill out our wish list, draw for the recipient, spend time buying the recipient’s presents, and then organize three separate exchanges. Those three exchange dates are spread out so that we have time in between each to perfect our gifts and think of a hint to include, allowing the recipients to have something to guess from beyond the presents. Nearing the end of the third swap, we each hypothesize who we think our Secret Santa is and then finally reveal to each other. Although each Secret Santa’s identity is supposed to be a surprise, many of us often construct our own lists of who we think everyone has, and some even guess their Secret Santa very early on. Whether this is because they are great detectives or because they have hidden contacts in the studio will remain a mystery 🐸. My experience this year was honestly the most fun out of all the years that I have done it. Not only did my Secret Santa give me some pretty awesome gifts, I was also able to trick the person I was giving to into thinking it was practically anyone and everyone else besides me! Besides feeling accomplished, I also loved watching the reactions that everyone had while opening their presents. This tradition never fails to make me smile and connects the whole team in a way like no other.
Holiday jump rope choreographies are a must. During the last Saturday cardio class of 2023, the girls jumped along to a Christmas song called “Dominick the Donkey.” Although I was not there to see the creative process in action, I could hear the joyful music playing all the way from Studio C and was greatly intrigued by it. When they called Madame to go watch their creation, Mrs. Marina and I followed, eager to get a glimpse of it as well. With a silly start, the routine was filled with grand pas de chats, backwards jumps, and partner tricks, executed with precision throughout. No matter what happened, it was clear that the girls enjoyed themselves. Laughter grew even as they performed and the Christmas spirit visibly radiated through the whole studio. Because of this, I am already excited to see what we have in store for next year.
Another major tradition that I am always enthusiastic about is attending the Holiday Party. A blast every time, we get to start winter break with a lovely gathering, a rewarding event for every member of ABA. As each family brings one or more of their specialty dishes to share with the rest of the ABA family, teachers, students, and parents get to relax and enjoy time with each other. While the bundt cakes were a fan favorite of the kids, I thought all the plates were filled with appetizing and well-prepared goods. Beyond the delicious food, something special about this year was that our group gained a passion for bellowing, I mean singing. Like we did in Italy, we gave it another go, though this time sang along passionately to Christmas music! Unlocking new memories and conversing with the girls in this comforting environment after a successful Nutcracker season is something I look forward to each time.
To sum it up, we commemorated this year through dancing, singing, and eating, growing our bonds and friendships, while motivating each other to work harder and collectively. As we await for the next holiday season to begin our traditions once again, we have a lot in store for 2024, including new solos, group pieces, and shows!
Lucy
CHRISTMAS AT ABA
WITH LUCY
A SNAPSHOT OF NUTCRACKER NIGHTS
Ask the Artistic Director
WITH MME. AKHMEDOVA
As we bid farewell to 2023, I am looking forward to a new year with great excitement. ABA had a very successful year: Sold out successful shows, award winning ballet competitions including one in Italy (IDTCI), Wheaton Arts Parade, Rolling Terrace school outreach program, all the individual successes that each one of my students enjoyed, and much more. Special thank you to all my teachers, choreographers, parents, students, our private & corporate sponsors, the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Maryland State Arts Council, ABA Board of Directors, family and friends.
ABA will continue providing world class Vaganova ballet training to our diverse DMV area, inclusive and memorable community friendly outreach performances, and is committed to our mission to nurture the future of the next generation of dancers.
Audition and train this summer at Akhmedova Ballet Academy
Be challenged within a community of talented dancers devoted to improve themselves at a school of excellence that is known for its superior training and award-winning students throughout the world.
Mme. Akhmedova, Artistic Director