Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s (RWB) beloved production of Nutcracker was first commissioned in 1999 by then-artistic director André Lewis, who retired this spring after working with the company for 50 years. Set to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s iconic score and choreographed by Galina Yordanova and Nina Menon, this version infuses the classic Christmas story with uniquely Canadian touches, including Mounties, an outdoor hockey game on a frozen pond and the hilarious Filbert the Bear, whose antics elicit giggles every year from the children in the audience. 

Set in Winnipeg at the turn of the 20th century, Nutcracker follows Clara, a young girl who embarks on a magical Christmas journey when her wooden nutcracker comes to life. From there, Clara and her Nutcracker Prince battle with the Mouse King and then visit the Land of Sweets to meet the magical Sugar Plum Fairy. 

The production is currently touring across Canada with stops in Regina, Saskatoon, Ottawa and Vancouver, before beginning a 10-show run here in Winnipeg at the Centennial Concert Hall. 

Calgary-born dancer Julianna Generoux is a corps de ballet artist in the RWB and will be dancing the role of Clara this year. 

“This role has three main pas de deux and they are pretty stamina heavy,” Generoux said of preparing for her role. “So, [we have] lots of rehearsals to really build up our stamina and our artistry.” 

Generoux is partnered with second soloist Marco Lo Presti, originally from Italy, who will dance the role of the Nutcracker Prince. 

On his role, he said, “It’s mainly physical preparation [for me] because [the pas de deux] require lots of strength on my side for partnering.” 

This will be Generoux and Lo Presti’s first time dancing these roles together, and they’ve found that they clicked together quickly. 

“I feel like we’re both very expressive dancers,” Generoux remarked. “Once we start dancing, we truly are the characters and we’re just in the moment, very present together […] I can trust [Lo Presti] fully.” 

Lo Presti agreed, saying, “I feel like it’s been easy from the very first moment because we have open communication […] If there’s a problem [or] issue, we just talk about it […] and there’s nice chemistry on stage, and that makes everything way easier.”

The two have enjoyed building their partnership, saying they have developed a strong stage chemistry where they can look beyond technique and focus on other aspects of the performance. 

“We feed off the performance quality of the other […] And that makes dancing very enjoyable. We’re not just thinking about technique, we’re thinking about enjoying the performance and portraying the character and [having] fun,” said Lo Presti. 

“Even when little things go wrong, we can just look at each other and be like, ‘Okay, it’s fine,’” Generoux added. “We’re in this together, we’re both on the same page.”

Generoux, Lo Presti and their fellow company dancers have a packed performance schedule, including classes and rehearsals during the day before they go on stage. 

“[On one-show days] we just have one show in the evening, so class at 1:30 [p.m.], and then we have two hours of rehearsal where you get notes from the show […] Any of the lead couples can choose to rehearse if they want, and then we have a dinner break and then performance at 7, 7:30 [p.m.],” Generoux explained. 

On weekends, things are even busier as the company performs two shows per day, requiring mental and physical endurance and the ability to adapt to last-minute changes.

“[The night before] you finish around 10 p.m. and you have the adrenaline going until at least midnight,” said Lo Presti. “The next day you have to wake up around 8:30 [or] 9 [a.m.] […] Normally on double-show days we have class around 10 [a.m.] […] You go on stage, you wear your makeup, you look at yourself in the mirror, you’re like, ‘You can do this, you can do this.’ And then [we perform] again in the afternoon, [which] is even harder because you switch off, then you have to switch on again.” 

Despite the hectic tour schedule, both dancers love being able to travel and perform in different cities for different audiences, saying that every show brings a new experience. 

When asked what they think audiences will love about the show, Generoux mentioned the addition of local guest artists. This year, the Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble will return for the fourth time, having first worked with RWB in 2022. Also joining this year are the Ivan Flett Memorial Dancers, who blend the Red River Jig with modern hip hop, and Manohar Performing Arts of Canada to perform Indian classical dances such as Bharatanatyam and Kathak. 

Lo Presti noted the show’s Winnipeg setting appeals to audiences. 

“It’s very attached to Winnipeg and it’s a very great production. I’ve been in many productions, and I have to say this one is the most exciting so far,” he remarked. 

Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s The Nutcracker will run at the Centennial Concert Hall from Dec. 19 through Dec. 27 (excluding Dec. 24-25 for statutory holidays). For tickets and all other information, visit rwb.org.