I am SO confused!!!

[Guest Luv2DancePointe]

Ok, the main character in Nutcracker is Marie, right? Well, I have read two things recently stating, that the character is Clara...? I have even seen Nutcracker for the first time last weekend, and the program had her name as Marie. I'm pretty sure there is a ballet with a character named Clara but not Nutcracker, and I don't remember what it is...could you help me out please!!!

[Alexandra]

Some productions use Clara, some use Marie.

Marie was the name of the little girl in the E.T.A. Hoffman story, and Clara was the name of the little girl in the first ballet.

If you'd like to read about Nutcracker, check out Mel Johnson's pages about the ballet on our main site. It's got a lot of fascinating information, and it's a quick read!

The Nutcracker

[Mel Johnson]

In the original production, the girl is called Clara, but she does have an older sister called Marianne! In some productions the material for this mime/dancer is handled by a "favorite aunt" as in the Washington Ballet production, or the maid, as in NYCB's. There seems to be no injury to the story proceeding from this practice, and after all this is a ballet, and not a spoken drama or opera, so it makes little difference as to what the character's name is, even if it's Hephzibah in the program, as long as her acting/dancing material is preserved.

[vagansmom]

And then to further confuse the issue, I've been to several Nuts through the years whose Marie is Clara's little sister.

[Guest Luv2DancePointe]

vagansmom, that is a very confusing thing!

Thank you all for clearing this up for me!