Every winter, stages across the Bay Area are filled with sugarplum fairies, dancing soldiers and holiday magic. This December, Lick-Wilmerding High School’s very own are stepping into the spotlight.
Santiago Stack Lozano ’28, Lila Range ’26, Olive St. Julien ’29 and Isa Burke ’26 all perform in Nutcracker shows throughout the Bay Area, each with their own added flair to the holiday classic.
The first Nutcracker—brought to life with Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s music and Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov’s choreography—was performed on December 18, 1892 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The two-act performance follows a young Clara, who receives a wooden nutcracker from her uncle, Drosselmeier. Later that night, her nutcracker prince comes to life. Clara and the prince wander through forests, converse with royalty, travel on clouds, fight evil mice and end their journey in a glorious Kingdom of Sweets. She is guided back home by the nutcracker prince, where she awakes in her living room, wondering…was it all just a dream?
The ballet was first performed outside of Russia in 1934, and its U.S. debut performance was conducted by the San Francisco Ballet (SFB) in 1944. Now, 81 years later, the timeless production is still wowing audiences.
Stack Lozano, a dancer from San Francisco Ballet School, has been performing in SFB’s Nutcracker for four years: three as Fritz, Clara’s little brother, and this year as a member of the cavalry and a tree boy. Every year, the company chooses dancers from the school to perform alongside professionals.
Rehearsals start as early as September, and ramp up after Thanksgiving, with long, after-school practices, costume fittings and run-throughs at the iconic and historic War Memorial Opera House.
SFB’s Nutcracker, choreographed by Helgi Tómasson, takes the traditional Tchaikovsky and Petipa version and adds some Bay Area flair. The story takes place in 1915 San Francisco. Tómasson’s Nutcracker opens, revealing San Francisco’s iconic Victorian-style homes, the Painted Ladies, in Act I. In Act II, the Conservatory of Flowers serves as the Crystal Palace where Clara meets the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Stack Lozano shared that SFB’s Nutcracker presents a “visually interesting story.” From snow falling from the ceiling during a 10-minute dance to effects that make objects seem to appear out of nowhere, the audience is always on their toes.
Burke, a former dancer from SFB School, now dances at Dance Training Center (DTC), also known as The Ballet School of San Francisco. This winter, Burke is going to be performing as a flower, snowflake and hummingbird in her studio’s Nutcracker.
DTC’s Nutcracker is entirely performed by students. This, Burke describes, is what gives the show its magic. One can see young kids, just four or five years old, dancing to old scores, bringing a youthful light to old traditions. “It’s all the parents’ favorite parts, seeing these little kids dancing and just being happy and not having to look perfect all the time,” Burke said.
Leaping across the city to another Nutcracker adaptation, St. Julien and Range described GRRL Brigade from Dance Mission Theater’s biyearly show, The Revolutionary Nutcracker.
The Revolutionary Nutcracker integrates social justice themes, activism and diverse dance styles, adding a modern twist to the traditional production.
photo by Lila Range ’26
Clara is an immigrant Argentinian maid, and Drosselmeier is a gay activist who left her family and traveled the globe. Meanwhile, the Rat King represents tyrannic politicians and dictators—and the snowflakes are melting due to climate change.
Defeating the evil Rat King? “The hippies,” St. Julien said. “With their Black Lives Matter tie-dye t-shirts,” Range added. After the defeat of the fascist Rat King, the whole assembly and Clara unite to yell, “The people united will never be defeated! Freedom!”
“If you’re going into it with a generic expectation of the traditional Nutcracker, you’re not going to enjoy it. You have to have an open mind and just kind of have fun with it,” St. Julien said.
In GRRL Brigade’s all-female Nutcracker, performed by ages ranging from young girls to teenagers, the community behind the curtain is strong. “You know everyone, and you’ve probably grown up with most people,” Range said.
This, Range and St. Julien describe, is the real magic of the performance: the sisterhood, community and connections.
Ranging from classic choreography to modern artistry to youth-centered dances packed with social commentary, the Bay Area’s many Nutcracker showcases bring nuance and vibrancy to this old holiday tradition.
