Love all of these videos. One thing I think is amazing is that even when the video is paused, all the dancers still look amazing. It really shows the importance of making transitional steps as good as “the big ones,” and what great technique all the dancers have! ❤
What impresses me even more is that some of the lead Marzis also do the corp and can remember which counts they're supposed to be on for each version for those canon sections. Just crazy.
Agree, and if you do both when performing core it must be extra tricky having the soloist in your field of view doing the other counts. I don't think I'd be able to not accidentally start matching her.
Decades ago I guested at a very fine school's Nutcracker in Miami, Florida. One day in rehearsal they ran Marzipan, and I too noticed how hard it really was. Turned out they had entered that dance at a competition and won first place! I guess Marzipan got some love that year!
As someone who has done Marzipan multiple times, I always make sure to show abundant appreciation for those who perform it when we go see the Nutcracker. Or even if we just watch it at home. Such a hard little variation. Thank you for highlighting it.
As a non-dancer, these videos make me appreciate the technical side of ballet so much more. It's always been beautiful, but when you deconstruct them it shows just how much effort these dancers have to put in to make it look easy. I hope you also make more once upon a pointe videos, I really wanna hear about your experience dancing outside the US.
Our version of Marzi is so hard too! I remember when I first understudied it I struggled so hard. The timing is the hardest part, it's so many teeny tiny steps in such a small amount of music haha. 8 years later, it's one of my favorite dances now and I have done every spot including the lead😂
I LOVE how you highlighted that this Divertissement is often SO difficult and underappreciated in many productions! When I danced with San Diego Ballet, I performed this a few times, and it is a very challenging piece. Halfway through in their production, they have little "sheep" played by very tiny students, about 5 years old or younger. Once the kiddos enter, the audience is immediately taken with them, and many of the difficult, intricate steps of the Marzipan Shepherdesses are downplayed by the adorable, tiny sheep. The ladies rehearse SO hard, and their work is very rarely appreciated.
Absolutely love your deconstructions! Marzipan is so hard, and any female dancer completely understands. Kind of sad that the audiences don’t understand. That being said, Tyler Peck is amazing and just so quick and precise. My feet hurt watching the corps 😂.
Wow I always knew Marzipan was the hardest variation but I definitely have a better understanding and appreciation of it now! Thank you so much for the deconstruction series I have LOVED it so far!!! 💞
I did mirlitons at my school for three years straight, and it’s definitely one of the hardest ones and so under appreciated! We all called it the “calf killer” 😂
The 9:33 assembles are gorgeous to be followed by WTF 9:42-9:50 - so unflattering! The Marzipan-Peed-Her-Pants-Waddle. New ballet step: Pipi du Pantalon
Kathryn, again many thanks for this deconstruction. What you say about Marzipan being under appreciated by the audience is true. Your imitation of the audience's stingy applause is right on point, pardon the pun, having witnessed this at NYCB many times. Please keep these deconstructions coming. Happy Thanksgiving.
As a non performing adult ballet enthusiast, these deconstructions are really helping me understand and look at these ballets with new eyes. As you said, the appreciation will be there now for me because I was ignorant prior and not I'm not.
I have not danced this variation but I totally know what you mean about how simple things are so difficult - it reminds me of Mozart, actually. It tends to be underappreciated by the audience because it seems simple, even trite, but you have nowhere to hide. One wrong note sticks out like a sore thumb and it’s all about the quality of the sound or the movement. if you don’t have that quality it’s just terrible to look at or listen to. if it’s flashy, you can hide behind the theatrics; if it’s emotional, you can hide behind emotion, but when it’s just pure, simple, beauty then you just have to get it perfectly right.
I see Wheeldon's Nutcracker at the Joffrey Ballet every year. This year, thanks to your series, I will pay much more attention to the details of the choreography and the differences between corps dancers and soloists!
I really liked this video. I appreciate that it was a true deconstruction and not just overly praising the lead dancer. I did not enjoy the Flowers video for that reason, which is a shame because Waltz of the Flowers is my favorite, but the constant praising was a little too much. Keep it going, keep it objective, loved this one and loved the Snowflake video too.
Well if it can cheer you up: I always loved this one as a kid! And Spanish dancers. I always thought other pieces like Flowers were a bit too grand and dramatic. There's so much to watch and see here, I love it! Plus I like baroque music sooo it's a favorite for me, fascinating choreo! I just never liked the bouncy tutus so much haha THANK YOU FOR THIS COMMENTARY !
Marzipan has always been one of my faves and I am gobsmacked that some audiences may nit appreciate it as much as I do! 😂 it is soo beautiful and complex!
This series just gives me lots of happiness and smile. ech time I see the notification that a new video have been posted I can't wait to see it. It is so so LOVELlLY!!! THANK YOU, Kathryn!!! you are irreplaceable!!
My local company's version has four 5-6 years old pages with a female adult dancer who is their leader. The pages are in the most adorable custom and doing their adorable moves, and the adult dancer has very similar movements with the Balanchine version such as hop/plie on pointe. The audience are always impressed by the little ones, including myself. I have to admit I didn't realize how "low key hard" those pointe works are for the adult dancer until the 4th year I saw it.
I might have missed it, but during this recording, where were you, Kathryn, in your ballet/career timeline? Thank you for doing this! I love this series!
Thank you for these. Your videos make me appreciate these dancers even more. I am a first year season holder to Ballet Arizona and will be seeing Nutcracker in a few weeks and saw Swanlake a last month.
I have questions about two of the ladies here. (Megan LeCrone and Ashley Laracie). I know that I have watched that Ashley dances principal roles a lot. I think Megan does as well..What are your thoughts about why neither of these very talented dancers haven't been promoted. I am not trying to be political, rather just curious why they would be given principal roles but not actually promoted?
I may have missed it, but which role did you dance when you did this piece? What year in your nycb career did you do it, because you said its usually for more advanced corps members. Also is lead marzipan a role danced by principals or only soloists and corps members?
Love, love, love all of your deconstructions! Imagine having to do the Piqué turn pass on a raked stage-lol 😂. The Academy of Music in Philadelphia had a raked stage before they straightened it some years ago. One of my best friends, named Heidi, could somehow pull off multiple pirouettes while doing the lead. It was incredible-lol 😆. Did you guys sing the Marzipan song? "I'm a little fruit and nut bar..." Keep up the amazing work Kathryn! Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones! 🎉❤
Our version of "Marzipan" at my local studio was actually "Candy Canes". Similar movement vocabulary but still so dang hard - and we had to dance with giant candy cane shaped props! Lol
Oh my goodness, my feet are just cringing seeing how long those corps girls have to walk and just stand on pointe! Tiler is stunning as usual. If there's one thing I have learned about ballet (not just Nutcracker but all the other ballets I have seen in my lifetime), the shorter the score, the more more difficult the choreography is for the dancers. I am not a dancer so please don't come at me Katie haha (I know that seems very logical as dancer, I guess it's more mindblowing since I have never danced in my life)
I'm not a dancer but... yeah, that looks like it's hard. SO MUCH en pointe in that, youch!! (Beautifully done, though - especially with the costumes!!)
Here is Patricia Wilde talking about her first rehearsals of Marzipan with Balanchine on her wedding night! ruclips.net/video/msTY7jQ8L8I/видео.htmlsi=PE1rd9YnuidCqsFc
Love all of these videos. One thing I think is amazing is that even when the video is paused, all the dancers still look amazing. It really shows the importance of making transitional steps as good as “the big ones,” and what great technique all the dancers have! ❤
Yes! I completely agree! ❤️
Marzipan is sooo hard! Especially this version, nothing hidden in those tutu's has to be perfect!
What impresses me even more is that some of the lead Marzis also do the corp and can remember which counts they're supposed to be on for each version for those canon sections. Just crazy.
Yes! They swap back and forth! I should have mentioned that! ❤️
Agree, and if you do both when performing core it must be extra tricky having the soloist in your field of view doing the other counts. I don't think I'd be able to not accidentally start matching her.
This looks so difficult! Tiler is absolutely stunning as usual! Loving this series, Katie-thanks so much! 🩰
My pleasure! And yes she is!
Katryn you are our very own Fairy Godmother with these Ballet Explained videos ❤
This is perfect timing! I'm doing Balanchine's Marzipan for the first time today!
Amazing! Have fun! 🩷
@@kathryn_morgan Omg thank you so much!!
Congratulations! and merde!!
Decades ago I guested at a very fine school's Nutcracker in Miami, Florida. One day in rehearsal they ran Marzipan, and I too noticed how hard it really was. Turned out they had entered that dance at a competition and won first place! I guess Marzipan got some love that year!
Amazing!
I’ve never danced in The Nutcracker but I learned a little bit of the dances I appreciate the ballerinas that do it every year
As someone who has done Marzipan multiple times, I always make sure to show abundant appreciation for those who perform it when we go see the Nutcracker. Or even if we just watch it at home. Such a hard little variation. Thank you for highlighting it.
As a non-dancer, these videos make me appreciate the technical side of ballet so much more. It's always been beautiful, but when you deconstruct them it shows just how much effort these dancers have to put in to make it look easy.
I hope you also make more once upon a pointe videos, I really wanna hear about your experience dancing outside the US.
I really enjoy these videos. I would love a deconstruction of candy canes. It’s so different than in other nutcrackers
I LOVE YOUR DECONSTRUCTIONS!!!!
Thank you! I love doing them!
Tiler Peck is definitely one of a kind! I just love and appreciate all the dancers of NYCB❤.
Our version of Marzi is so hard too! I remember when I first understudied it I struggled so hard. The timing is the hardest part, it's so many teeny tiny steps in such a small amount of music haha. 8 years later, it's one of my favorite dances now and I have done every spot including the lead😂
I LOVE how you highlighted that this Divertissement is often SO difficult and underappreciated in many productions! When I danced with San Diego Ballet, I performed this a few times, and it is a very challenging piece. Halfway through in their production, they have little "sheep" played by very tiny students, about 5 years old or younger. Once the kiddos enter, the audience is immediately taken with them, and many of the difficult, intricate steps of the Marzipan Shepherdesses are downplayed by the adorable, tiny sheep. The ladies rehearse SO hard, and their work is very rarely appreciated.
Absolutely love your deconstructions! Marzipan is so hard, and any female dancer completely understands. Kind of sad that the audiences don’t understand. That being said, Tyler Peck is amazing and just so quick and precise. My feet hurt watching the corps 😂.
Enjoying this series so much!
Wow I always knew Marzipan was the hardest variation but I definitely have a better understanding and appreciation of it now! Thank you so much for the deconstruction series I have LOVED it so far!!! 💞
I did mirlitons at my school for three years straight, and it’s definitely one of the hardest ones and so under appreciated! We all called it the “calf killer” 😂
Obsessed with this series !!!!!
Yay, thank you!
The 9:33 assembles are gorgeous to be followed by WTF 9:42-9:50 - so unflattering! The Marzipan-Peed-Her-Pants-Waddle. New ballet step: Pipi du Pantalon
Kathryn, again many thanks for this deconstruction. What you say about Marzipan being under appreciated by the audience is true. Your imitation of the audience's stingy applause is right on point, pardon the pun, having witnessed this at NYCB many times. Please keep these deconstructions coming. Happy Thanksgiving.
Yes! It’s so under appreciated. Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Another great breakdown. I know everyone has their favorite performance, but it’s hard to beat the energy and color of NYC.
As a non performing adult ballet enthusiast, these deconstructions are really helping me understand and look at these ballets with new eyes. As you said, the appreciation will be there now for me because I was ignorant prior and not I'm not.
I have not danced this variation but I totally know what you mean about how simple things are so difficult - it reminds me of Mozart, actually. It tends to be underappreciated by the audience because it seems simple, even trite, but you have nowhere to hide. One wrong note sticks out like a sore thumb and it’s all about the quality of the sound or the movement. if you don’t have that quality it’s just terrible to look at or listen to. if it’s flashy, you can hide behind the theatrics; if it’s emotional, you can hide behind emotion, but when it’s just pure, simple, beauty then you just have to get it perfectly right.
I'm seeing the nutcracker today, and your videos have been keeping me hyped up! (I've just been chanting 'sugar plum' on repeat for a week)
I see Wheeldon's Nutcracker at the Joffrey Ballet every year. This year, thanks to your series, I will pay much more attention to the details of the choreography and the differences between corps dancers and soloists!
I really liked this video. I appreciate that it was a true deconstruction and not just overly praising the lead dancer. I did not enjoy the Flowers video for that reason, which is a shame because Waltz of the Flowers is my favorite, but the constant praising was a little too much. Keep it going, keep it objective, loved this one and loved the Snowflake video too.
I LOVE this series
Well if it can cheer you up: I always loved this one as a kid! And Spanish dancers. I always thought other pieces like Flowers were a bit too grand and dramatic.
There's so much to watch and see here, I love it! Plus I like baroque music sooo it's a favorite for me, fascinating choreo! I just never liked the bouncy tutus so much haha
THANK YOU FOR THIS COMMENTARY !
Love this series! 💕
Marzipan has always been one of my faves and I am gobsmacked that some audiences may nit appreciate it as much as I do! 😂 it is soo beautiful and complex!
Yes! They just don’t always get it!
Yay was hoping for this one!!
This series just gives me lots of happiness and smile. ech time I see the notification that a new video have been posted I can't wait to see it. It is so so LOVELlLY!!! THANK YOU, Kathryn!!!
you are irreplaceable!!
I'm loving these videos!!! Thank you so much, Kathryn!!! I feel exhausted and sore just watching this choreography, they are amazing! xxx
Thank you for these deconstruction videos, they're so fascinating! I always forget how quick Marzi is, at first I thought you had it in 2x speed haha
My local company's version has four 5-6 years old pages with a female adult dancer who is their leader. The pages are in the most adorable custom and doing their adorable moves, and the adult dancer has very similar movements with the Balanchine version such as hop/plie on pointe. The audience are always impressed by the little ones, including myself. I have to admit I didn't realize how "low key hard" those pointe works are for the adult dancer until the 4th year I saw it.
I LOVE THESEEE
I might have missed it, but during this recording, where were you, Kathryn, in your ballet/career timeline? Thank you for doing this! I love this series!
I believe they recorded this after I left the company. So I’m not quite sure!
I've never cared for Marzipan, but it's interesting to see how much work goes into it. And Tiler really shines in this role!
Thank you for these. Your videos make me appreciate these dancers even more. I am a first year season holder to Ballet Arizona and will be seeing Nutcracker in a few weeks and saw Swanlake a last month.
What an adorable pooch! 😍
Went to see Birmingham Ballet’s Nutcracker yesterday - your videos helped me appreciate it at a whole new level!
Yes party scene!!!
I’m loving these nutcracker deconstructions! Your insights are fascinating!
Thank you! ❤️
I have questions about two of the ladies here. (Megan LeCrone and Ashley Laracie). I know that I have watched that Ashley dances principal roles a lot. I think Megan does as well..What are your thoughts about why neither of these very talented dancers haven't been promoted. I am not trying to be political, rather just curious why they would be given principal roles but not actually promoted?
WOW! Thank you!
I've done Marzipan (Balanchine's version) and omg it's so fun yet hard at the same time.
Hot Chocolate and Marzipan are my favorites!
Poli's next please! It's the hardest children's role in the Balanchine version❤
I may have missed it, but which role did you dance when you did this piece? What year in your nycb career did you do it, because you said its usually for more advanced corps members. Also is lead marzipan a role danced by principals or only soloists and corps members?
this series is awesome id love a deconstruction of spanish and the pdd
Oooo! 😊 Love these! 🙌🩰💐
OMG that is totally amazing thank you I will so appreciate this scene more and so beautiful fun and happy thanks Kathryn luv you
Awww thank you!
This series is the gift that keeps giving. Thank you!!! 🙏🏻🥹💕
I’m so glad! My pleasure! ❤️
Love, love, love all of your deconstructions! Imagine having to do the Piqué turn pass on a raked stage-lol 😂. The Academy of Music in Philadelphia had a raked stage before they straightened it some years ago. One of my best friends, named Heidi, could somehow pull off multiple pirouettes while doing the lead. It was incredible-lol 😆. Did you guys sing the Marzipan song? "I'm a little fruit and nut bar..." Keep up the amazing work Kathryn! Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones! 🎉❤
Our version of "Marzipan" at my local studio was actually "Candy Canes". Similar movement vocabulary but still so dang hard - and we had to dance with giant candy cane shaped props! Lol
if it helps the flute part is also super difficult and sounds “easy”😭 we share your pain fr
Oh my goodness, my feet are just cringing seeing how long those corps girls have to walk and just stand on pointe! Tiler is stunning as usual. If there's one thing I have learned about ballet (not just Nutcracker but all the other ballets I have seen in my lifetime), the shorter the score, the more more difficult the choreography is for the dancers. I am not a dancer so please don't come at me Katie haha (I know that seems very logical as dancer, I guess it's more mindblowing since I have never danced in my life)
❤❤❤ Marzapan was always my favorite 😍 please do Spanish!
I'm not a dancer but... yeah, that looks like it's hard. SO MUCH en pointe in that, youch!! (Beautifully done, though - especially with the costumes!!)
The one thing I don't love about the Balanchine version is I miss doing fouettes during the "dramatic" section of the music.
Mom (ballet teacher) always says Marzipan are 2 different coreographies (principal and choir) joined. Into one.
"Melitón" in Spanish! Yes... ;-)
Ah, the "cashew" foot from the point hops!
Katie ❤❤❤❤❤❤ 😊
Definetly Wendy Whelan’s Coffee!!!
Could you do your stars and strips; and also carousel performances? I would love to see you perform them and hear your deconstruction of them.
Ooh I do have a video of that. Let me work on it! ❤️
Here is Patricia Wilde talking about her first rehearsals of Marzipan with Balanchine on her wedding night!
ruclips.net/video/msTY7jQ8L8I/видео.htmlsi=PE1rd9YnuidCqsFc
Coffee next and if your running low on ideas the Granfather Dance
what about Spanish chocolate
I would love to see candy canes
🙌
Please do Arabian!!!
Nice🇺🇸🇺🇸🦄🦄🦓🦓❤😊
I love the costumes,but they must feel very bouncy.
Hopping on one pointe, leg bent, looks agonizing.to me.
i cant get enough of these!!!
I don’t like that Tyler peck had Candace Owens on her show and she’s anti gay .
The one thing I don't love about the Balanchine version is I miss doing fouettes during the "dramatic" section of the music.