The production decamps with twenty-four dancers to historic Hudson Valley estate in a bold effort to keep The Nutcracker alive—and to preserve the spirit of the holiday season for audiences everywhere. It offers an inside look at the creative problem-solving and collaboration that made the production possible during one of the most challenging periods in performing arts history. What started as a desperate move quickly became a powerful reminder that creativity and the holidays’ enduring magic can triumph even in the most challenging times.
The Nutcracker found an unexpected home inside the Wethersfield Estate. “It was an amazing, beautiful accident,” recalls Wethersfield Director Tara Shafer. “Just by coincidence we walked into the house, and that’s when Troy stopped and said, ‘Are we in the set of The Nutcracker right now?’”
What followed was nothing short of extraordinary. For five weeks, New York City Ballet dancers—including Sara Mearns, Taylor Stanley, Mira Nadon, Ashley Laracey, Erica Pereira, Claire von Enck, Emma von Enck, Gabriella Domini, Malorie Lundgren, Davide Riccardo, Mary Elizabeth Sell, and Tyler Angle—quarantined, tested constantly, and lived together under one roof. Through sheer determination, they navigated the narrow legal loopholes that allowed them to keep working, creating a bubble where art could survive.
“It was a real labor of love,” says director Anne Sundberg. “Almost nobody who invested in the production used their tickets; most gave them away. One of our underwriters said, ‘I want you to find the people in this community who have gone the extra mile—the phlebotomist at the hospital who has worked the hardest, the teachers teaching on Zoom, the people stocking grocery store shelves—and I want you to invite their families to see The Nutcracker.’”
And so they came. The audience for these performances was made up largely of those hit hardest in rural America—people carrying the weight of the pandemic who, for a moment, were given a gift: wonder, beauty, and the feeling that magic could still break through the dark.
Following the screening guests, cast and crew walked a few blocks to the reception at All & sundry for cocktails food and celebration.
The Nutcracker at Wethersfield is a tribute to perseverance, imagination, and the transformative force of the arts, through dance, an art form that has the power to lift, sustain a sense of community, and make the holidays shine brightest when they are shared. It’s a reminder that even in the hardest moments, beauty finds a way to gather us together. For more information, please visit: wwwnutcrackerfilm.
Wethersfield Estate is a 1,000-acre retreat in rural New York, anchored by a Georgian-Revival mansion designed in 1939 by architect L. Bancel LaFarge. The property features sweeping classical gardens, a seven-acre woodland “wilderness,” over 20 miles of hiking and equestrian trails, and a carriage museum housing 22 historic carriages.
The Wethersfield Foundation is dedicated to preserving and caring for the estate’s house, gardens, art, carriage collection, and surrounding grounds. Guided by founder Chauncey Stillman’s vision, the foundation champions responsible land management, habitat conservation, sustainable agriculture, and innovative horticulture, while opening the property to the public to enjoy its natural beauty and classical arts.
For more information, please visit the Wethersfield Estate website-www.wethersfield.org
The Nutcracker at Wethersfield Documentary is now in theaters. For more information, please visit:
www.nutcrackerfilm