Nutcracker Ballerina Madeline Woo Shares the Challenging Scene in the Show That Takes a Lot of Skill

Madeline Woo.
Credit :

Lindsey Rallo/San Francisco Ballet

NEED TO KNOW

• The Nutcracker ballet is a Christmas-time performance staple.
• Madeline Woo is a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, where the first full-length production of The Nutcracker was performed in the United States.
• Woo has extensive experience performing in The Nutcracker and highlights one scene she refers to as “ballet on hard mode.”

As the holiday season approaches, ballet companies across the United States are preparing to stage performances of the beloved classic, The Nutcracker. This annual event draws thousands of eager attendees, eager to experience the magical atmosphere created by the dancers on stage. While it may appear effortless, the artistry involved is the result of rigorous skill and dedication.

Madeline Woo, a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet since July, notes that the dancers’ hard work is often overlooked. Among the various scenes in The Nutcracker, Woo identifies one that presents unique challenges. “It’s like ballet on hard mode,” she remarks. This scene highlights the demands placed on performers beyond technical prowess.

Madeline Woo and Francesco Gabriele Frola in the San Francisco Ballet’s production of ‘The Nutcracker.’

Lindsey Rallo/San Francisco Ballet

Woo’s experience includes numerous performances of The Nutcracker throughout her upbringing. The San Francisco Ballet is notable for initiating the tradition of holiday productions across the nation, having debuted the first full-length U.S. version over 80 years ago. In the third scene of the first act, the tale unfolds as Clara, fresh from her victory over the Mouse King, embarks on a magical journey to the Land of Snow with her prince. It is during this adventure that the iconic “Waltz of the Snowflakes” is performed, famously enhanced by a flurry of artificial snow to create a dreamlike ambiance on stage.

Dancers perform ‘The Waltz of the Snowflakes’ in the San Francisco Ballet’s production of ‘The Nutcracker.’

courtesy San Francisco Ballet

“There’s paper coming down, there’s usually fog, so the floor is super slippery,” Woo explains, laughing. The faux snow, reused throughout the performances, can become a bit soiled over time, adding to the scene’s challenges. Despite these difficulties, Woo maintains that the snow adds to the aesthetic appeal of the performance. “It just looks so pretty,” she adds. Though not frequently involved in the snow scene herself, she displays a strong awareness of her fellow dancers’ experiences, including a humorous anecdote about how one dancer found snow in her refrigerator.

Although she does not dance in the snow scene during her performances, Woo’s role comes alive during the ballet’s final pas de deux, where she transitions into an adult Clara. Sharing lighthearted moments, she recounts how one of her fellow principals, Jasmine Jimison, once choked on the faux snow: “She was just hacking the entire show,” Woo recalls, highlighting the unexpected events that occur behind the scenes.

Fernando Carratalá Coloma and Jasmine Jimison in the San Francisco Ballet’s production of ‘The Nutcracker.’

Lindsey Rallo/San Francisco Ballet

Despite these behind-the-scenes challenges, the dancers’ performances remain poised and captivating. On social media, Woo has gained a significant following, noted for her edgy aesthetic and tattooed appearance, with nearly 370,000 followers on Instagram and roughly 220,000 on TikTok. She emphasizes the importance of breaking traditional molds within ballet, asserting, “We don’t have to fit inside the little dainty box. I feel like the world needs to see a bit more of that.”

Woo’s journey has translated her experiences into a positive development, leading to the launch of her own dancewear brand this past Thanksgiving. Reflecting on her body image struggles associated with her dance career, she expressed that starting her brand bolstered her confidence, allowing her to channel her feelings into a project that could inspire others.

While The Nutcracker maintains a consistent charm for audiences year after year, subtle adaptations to choreography are made to suit each dancer. Woo notes that the ballet’s master, Tina LeBlanc, has worked with the company’s artistic director Helgi Tomasson to evolve the final pas de deux over the years. “We have a bunch of options and we just kind of choose which one works best for us,” Woo explains, highlighting the collaborative process that enriches each performance.

The evolving nature of The Nutcracker ensures that while its essence remains intact, each rendition reflects the unique strengths and styles of its dancers, making each performance a distinctly personal experience for the audience.