For most, the holidays mean food, family, festivities, and fits of reckless acquisition. But for ballet dancers, Thanksgiving is the last supper before the marathon of merrymaking that is The Nutcracker, which first flopped in 1892 Russia only to become a seasonal sensation in 1950s America. More than two dozen productions of the annual phenomenon exist in the Chicago area alone, ranging from extravagant and spectacular to DIY and Dance Along, ensuring that the magic of Christmas is broadly allied with the ritual of dance. The story of a sensitive girl who journeys to the Kingdom of the Sweets with a magical nutcracker has become synonymous with innocence and nostalgia. However, for the ballet industry, The Nutcracker more accurately represents another middle-class value: work. Annual ticket sales account for an average of 48 percent of a company’s season revenues, and some dancers have reported that Nutcracker gigs represent a third to a half of their annual freelance income.
After nine years as a labor attorney, Schumann found herself once again approached by artists in search of leadership when Madison Ballet’s artistic director retired and a small group of dancers from the company encouraged her to apply for the position. “It’s not every day that somebody says, ‘Come be our artistic director,’” she says. “It’s been an honor and a joy for me, and it’s an opportunity to give the dancers a really good work environment.” Under her direction (and with the help of revenue provided by The Nutcracker), Madison Ballet has seen remarkable growth, including moving to new studios and partnering with the YMCA and the public library in outreach programs for children and people who have been through the criminal justice system. In June, the company hired theater and opera director Jonathan Solari as CEO—the first in its history—and they’ve also embarked upon a $1 million capital campaign.
Through 12/28: see website for schedule, Overture Hall, 201 State St., Madison, 608-278-7990, madisonballet.org, $11-$63.
