Four beaming ballerinas are lined up in a Nashville Ballet rehearsal room. They take turns working through their favorite reps to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ever-iconic “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” As each dancer floats across the floor, gracefully conquering challenging moves, their peers softly — and repeatedly — whisper “yes” in encouragement.
On this stormy November afternoon, Lily Saito, Colette Tilinski, Jamie Kopit and Sarah Pierce fade away, and four distinct Sugar Plum Fairies emerge. While each dancer has embodied the role in past years, they never forget its significance. “She’s a big responsibility,” says Jamie. “You represent [something] not even human. You’re a fairy. You’re very regal. It’s her kingdom.”
Visions of Sugar Plums
Nashville’s Nutcracker is one of the Nashville Ballet’s most notorious and beloved shows — and the Sugar Plum Fairy is the pinnacle of holiday tradition. While the production’s fantastical choreography, performances and visuals have captured audiences since 2008, one of its most remarkable aspects is the rapid turnaround between final castings and opening night.
During rehearsals, every company member learns as many parts as possible — and roles aren’t solidified until two or three weeks before the first performance. Casting choices are narrowed down as practices continue, and each dancer’s strengths are matched with the most fitting characters. At the time of this writing, a fifth Sugar Plum had recently withdrawn due to injury, but the other four were finalized. (Nashville Ballet later announced that Celeste Borman would fill the fifth spot.) The ballerinas explained they also were in the process of “learning” additional parts they could play this year, from the Snow Queen to the Dewdrop Fairy.
When portraying a familiar role, the Sugar Plums aim to evaluate which performance qualities they should keep — and which to refresh. “Part of it is trying to replicate the things you did last year and make them even better than before, and part of it is seeing if there’s anything that you want to rework or revisit,” says Sarah. “Maybe something different speaks to you, or maybe your body has changed because of injuries, and now you have to do something different.”
Now that the character’s movements have been committed to muscle memory, the ballerinas have opened up a whole new realm — one where they can meld classic choreography with personal style. “One of the things that I love about this company is that we’re all such different dancers,” says Sarah. “With [five] of us sharing this role, we’re not going to make the same choices. We’re not going to look exactly the same. When you reach this level, it’s encouraged for all of us to make our own artistic choices.”
All dancers in the company must strike a delicate balance between anatomical precision and personalization. “Sugar Plum is very technical,” says Colette. “There are some hard, challenging steps in there. Year after year, I try to go back and say, ‘How can I do these steps better?’ but then also layer on more artistic expression.” Jamie also says that growth is a natural part of life — and is necessary to her art. “You can’t help but be different every year you do it, because life happens, and you’re a different person every year,” she says. “I think, as artists, that aspect is a part of what we do.”
Grace And Grit
Notably, physical dedication comes with physical pain. Last year, Lily ruptured her Achilles tendon before the season started, causing her to sit out the entire year. “During that time, I really understood how important cross-training is for dancers,” she says. “I knew it was important, but now it’s a weekly thing, and I cannot go without doing it.”
Now recovered, Lily has been intentional about devoting herself to the role while tuning in to body cues — and what kind of pain she can or shouldn’t endure. “We’re trained to push beyond limits, which is great, but we need to know what kind of limits to push past and ones to listen to,” she says.
Other dancers chimed in that icing and massaging after rehearsals are crucial for muscle recovery — and that their instructors recognize how straining ballet is on the body. “We deal with a lot of chronic injuries,” Sarah, who revealed a brace she’s wearing for lower back pain, says. “We have lovely physical therapists, so we have times that we can see them every day of the week, which is incredible.” She also has to remind herself that she’ll properly execute her routines by showtime, despite not always practicing full out — and that her teammates also believe she can.
Dancing a Dream
After rigorous studio rehearsals, the company transitions into tech week at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, where the show’s choreography, sets, costumes and music are united. “We have the pleasure to dance to the Nashville Symphony,” says Lily. “Nutcracker music is iconic, and I’m sure we all grew up watching Nutcracker every year or being in it as a kid. It’s almost like a time warp when you’re dancing to this music, and now you’re the Sugar Plum Fairy. It’s like your dream come true.”
The dancers often have just one rehearsal with the Nashville Symphony before opening night, where they must put their knowledge of recorded practice tracks to the test, ensuring they hit each beat. “If there is that one orchestra dress rehearsal, we’ll all be standing on the side listening to the music really intently,” says Sarah.
While moments leading up to a show are nerve-racking, the Sugar Plums’ anxieties often melt away once the curtain is drawn, revealing a mystical world that allows them to morph into their character and captivate the audience. “When we get to perform, it’s so fun,” says Colette. “We have 20 shows. We don’t get to do that with any other program. The joy of getting to perform more consistently is really special about Nutcracker.”
When onstage, the dancers don’t just focus on executing their routines — they’re actively reading the room and finding ways to make new choices. “Every year, it’s very lovely and exciting to return to something that’s familiar, that you already know the steps to,” says Jamie. “Ballet is so uncomfortable, but we love to hold on to those little moments where we can be comfortable enough to be spontaneous on stage.”
Sarah shared that, every year, at least one dancer debuts a new role, and a large amount of energy is spent rallying around the newer folks — and acknowledging how special it is to be part of the production. “We all grew up watching this role from childhood,” says Colette. “To be here is so special. It’s like a ‘pinch me’ moment, and we don’t take it for granted.”
Nashville Ballet’s supportive community is what makes Nashville’s Nutcracker so meaningful for performers year after year. Company members are not just dancers but cheerleaders, in the studio and on the stage. They’re intrinsically bound together by admiration for each other and a fervent love for their craft. “We are striving for perfection, but it is just ballet at the end of the day,” says Jamie. “We’re just here to inspire and create beauty, and we don’t do it because it’s easy. We do it because we love it.”
Nashville’s Nutcracker opened Nov. 29 and will run through Dec. 28.
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