RSDA Nutcracker & Summer Program Info

Following EPS weather closures, RSDA is closed tonight, Friday 2/20 ❄️

❄️ Weather Update ❄️

RSDA is closed today and follows EPS weather closures. Stay safe and warm!

Incredibly PROUD!! ❤️🖤🤍

💫 Wow! What a day at Dance Team Union!

🥇 in small varsity Pom
🥇 in small varsity jazz
🌟 Artistry award for jazz
🏆 Grand champions for Pom (highest scoring routine of the day!) which earned them stunning Kendra Scott jewelry!

Way to go, Antlers! 🤘🏽❤️🖤🏁
Kendra Scott
Dance Team Union

One final check before the wonder begins… 💭💫

Happy Holiday Break from all of us at RSDA 🎄✨

We hope your days are filled with rest, joy, and a little extra sparkle. See you in the new year, ready to dance! ❤️

In 1892, the critics called it a "failure" and a "bore." By 1954, it had become the heartbeat of Christmas.

On December 18, 1892, the elite of Saint Petersburg gathered at the Mariinsky Theatre for a premiere that was supposed to be a triumph. It was Imperial Russia, the golden age of the arts.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the genius behind *Swan Lake*, had been commissioned to write a double bill. He wasn't entirely sure about the project, confessing in letters that he felt his creativity literally drying up.

But the audience was even less sure.

The curtain rose on *The Nutcracker*, and the reception was undeniably cold.

Critics tore it apart. They complained the plot was too simple for high art. They argued that there were too many children on stage—a chaotic distraction rather than a disciplined corps de ballet. One review famously dismissed the now-legendary battle with the Mouse King as "insulting."

Even Tchaikovsky left feeling defeated. He had poured his soul into the "Pas de Deux," yet the applause was polite at best. He died less than a year later, believing this ballet would be forgotten—a minor footnote in his career.

But the music refused to die.

While the ballet collected dust in the archives, the *Nutcracker Suite* began to travel the world in concert halls. The haunting melody of the "Sugar Plum Fairy" and the grandeur of the "Waltz of the Flowers" captured imaginations far beyond Russia.

Then came the resurrection.

Decades later, in the mid-20th century, choreographers in the West realized that the "simple plot" the Russians hated was actually perfect for families. George Balanchine’s 1954 production in New York City turned the "failed" ballet into a holiday ritual.

It became the gateway to the arts for millions of American children.

Tchaikovsky never saw the snowflakes fall on sold-out stages in Kansas City or London.

He never saw the lines of families wrapping around city blocks in the snow.

He never saw the joy on the faces of children seeing a sugar plum fairy for the first time.

He never saw his "failure" become the financial lifeblood that saves ballet companies from bankruptcy every single December.

Today, it is the most performed ballet in history, a testament to the fact that critics don't decide legacy—the people do.

Sometimes, the most beautiful gifts take a lifetime to be opened.

Sources: Britannica / History Collection / Tchaikovsky Research

The grind doesn’t stop after nutcracker! Junior company acro is putting in the work before the holiday break 🤩❤️‍🔥

To our 2025 seniors: our hearts are so full for you. 💞

Yesterday, two of you took your final bows in RSDA’s 8th annual production of The Nutcracker, closing a chapter that holds years of dedication, growth, artistry, and unforgettable memories.

Watching you complete that journey was emotional in the best way. We are SO incredibly proud of everything you’ve become, both on and off the stage.

And today… one more senior still gets to step into the magic one last time. We’ll be cheering louder than ever as you take that stage, knowing how much this moment means.

Whether your final performance was yesterday or is still ahead today, just know this: you will always be part of RSDA’s story and legacy. Thank you for your leadership, your hearts, your commitment, and your love for this art.

Forever proud of you. Always. ❤️

✨ IT’S OPENING NIGHT, FRIENDS!!! ✨

The Nutcracker magic is officially taking the stage and we cannot WAIT to share every twirl, sparkle, and sugar-spun moment with you!

Our incredible young artists have poured their hearts into this show… now it’s time to Experience the Magic! 💫🩰

📅 December 6 & 7
📍 Elkhorn High School
🎟️ Tickets: rsodaa.booktix.com (or at the door!)