Marzipan 🍬 Ballet DECONSTRUCTED | Balanchine's Nutcracker | New York City Ballet | Kathryn Morgan
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- I break down George Balanchine's Marzipan from New York City Ballet's Nutcracker, giving you all of the behind the scenes secrets from this amazing piece!
Full Video: • Tiler Peck, Marzipan S...
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Hi I'm Kathryn!
I am a former soloist with the New York City Ballet and Miami City Ballet. When I was a young student, I was always looking for insights into the ballet world and how to improve my dancing as well as beauty and lifestyle tips. Now that I am a professional, it is my turn to share.
On my channel I make ballet, beauty, and lifestyle videos for everyone of all ages. My goal is help dancers improve and achieve their dreams as well as open up the ballet world to non dancers. Let's bring the joy back to ballet! You will see many different kinds of videos here including ballet classes, workouts, Q and A sessions, life advice, performances, beauty tutorials, technique tips, and more. I hope you find all of my videos helpful!
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As an audience member , I have always adored the flutes/marzipan. The tiny nuances, the subtlety of the steps and especially quiet intro.
It is like touching the finest piece of handmade lace. Intricate and frothy at the same time.
Also my favorite costumes. Gotta love the bouncing baskets!
Thank you !
Love all of these videos. One thing I think is amazing is that even when the video is paused, all the dancers still look amazing. It really shows the importance of making transitional steps as good as “the big ones,” and what great technique all the dancers have! ❤
Yes! I completely agree! ❤️
What impresses me even more is that some of the lead Marzis also do the corp and can remember which counts they're supposed to be on for each version for those canon sections. Just crazy.
Yes! They swap back and forth! I should have mentioned that! ❤️
Agree, and if you do both when performing core it must be extra tricky having the soloist in your field of view doing the other counts. I don't think I'd be able to not accidentally start matching her.
I LOVE how you highlighted that this Divertissement is often SO difficult and underappreciated in many productions! When I danced with San Diego Ballet, I performed this a few times, and it is a very challenging piece. Halfway through in their production, they have little "sheep" played by very tiny students, about 5 years old or younger. Once the kiddos enter, the audience is immediately taken with them, and many of the difficult, intricate steps of the Marzipan Shepherdesses are downplayed by the adorable, tiny sheep. The ladies rehearse SO hard, and their work is very rarely appreciated.
Everybody has already commented from the ballet angle, but as a visual artist who has followed you for 6-8 years, I just want to say that that green shirt with your eyes is KILLER! Like dyed to match gloriousness!
Awww thank you so much!
Marzipan is sooo hard! Especially this version, nothing hidden in those tutu's has to be perfect!
Katryn you are our very own Fairy Godmother with these Ballet Explained videos ❤
Tiler Peck is definitely one of a kind! I just love and appreciate all the dancers of NYCB❤.
As someone who has done Marzipan multiple times, I always make sure to show abundant appreciation for those who perform it when we go see the Nutcracker. Or even if we just watch it at home. Such a hard little variation. Thank you for highlighting it.
I LOVE YOUR DECONSTRUCTIONS!!!!
Thank you! I love doing them!
This looks so difficult! Tiler is absolutely stunning as usual! Loving this series, Katie-thanks so much! 🩰
My pleasure! And yes she is!
As a non-dancer, these videos make me appreciate the technical side of ballet so much more. It's always been beautiful, but when you deconstruct them it shows just how much effort these dancers have to put in to make it look easy.
I hope you also make more once upon a pointe videos, I really wanna hear about your experience dancing outside the US.
Kathryn, this is FABULOUS!!! What a gift to students (pro and recreational), teachers.pros and members of the public. Thank you!!!
I really enjoy these videos. I would love a deconstruction of candy canes. It’s so different than in other nutcrackers
Absolutely love your deconstructions! Marzipan is so hard, and any female dancer completely understands. Kind of sad that the audiences don’t understand. That being said, Tyler Peck is amazing and just so quick and precise. My feet hurt watching the corps 😂.
This is perfect timing! I'm doing Balanchine's Marzipan for the first time today!
Amazing! Have fun! 🩷
@@kathryn_morgan Omg thank you so much!!
Congratulations! and merde!!
Oh wow, I hope it went well and you were fabulous!
Marzipan is my absolute favorite. Brimgs tears to my eyes the talent, grace in perfect combo with the masterpiece of the music. Great video.
I’ve never danced in The Nutcracker but I learned a little bit of the dances I appreciate the ballerinas that do it every year
Wow I always knew Marzipan was the hardest variation but I definitely have a better understanding and appreciation of it now! Thank you so much for the deconstruction series I have LOVED it so far!!! 💞
I was an understudy reed flute corps at another company when I was 12, had to learn the dance from every position and boy it was BRUTAL 😮💨 I always have so much respect for everyone who does this divertissement no matter where bc we are unified in how difficult and underappreciated it can be 😅
Kathryn, again many thanks for this deconstruction. What you say about Marzipan being under appreciated by the audience is true. Your imitation of the audience's stingy applause is right on point, pardon the pun, having witnessed this at NYCB many times. Please keep these deconstructions coming. Happy Thanksgiving.
Yes! It’s so under appreciated. Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving to you!
I love these!! MORE PLEASE!!!!
I really liked this video. I appreciate that it was a true deconstruction and not just overly praising the lead dancer. I did not enjoy the Flowers video for that reason, which is a shame because Waltz of the Flowers is my favorite, but the constant praising was a little too much. Keep it going, keep it objective, loved this one and loved the Snowflake video too.
Thank you for these deconstruction videos, they're so fascinating! I always forget how quick Marzi is, at first I thought you had it in 2x speed haha
Enjoying this series so much!
This is perfect timing as I'm going to attend NYCB's Nutcracker performance tomorrow! Thanks so much Kathryn for these wonderful ballet deconstructed videos! 🤩
I did mirlitons at my school for three years straight, and it’s definitely one of the hardest ones and so under appreciated! We all called it the “calf killer” 😂
I LOVE this series
Marzipan has always been one of my faves and I am gobsmacked that some audiences may nit appreciate it as much as I do! 😂 it is soo beautiful and complex!
Yes! They just don’t always get it!
Thank you so much for bringing some love and appreciation to Marzipan! I danced in community ballet as a child/teen and while I've done Angels, Flowers, and Trepak, my two years as a Marzipan corps were the hardest I ever did. The speed and intricacy are just killer.
Obsessed with this series !!!!!
Yay, thank you!
Another great breakdown. I know everyone has their favorite performance, but it’s hard to beat the energy and color of NYC.
I see Wheeldon's Nutcracker at the Joffrey Ballet every year. This year, thanks to your series, I will pay much more attention to the details of the choreography and the differences between corps dancers and soloists!
As a non performing adult ballet enthusiast, these deconstructions are really helping me understand and look at these ballets with new eyes. As you said, the appreciation will be there now for me because I was ignorant prior and not I'm not.
How awesome it is to have a close dance friend! I had one. While I’m still imagining I’m a prima ballerina I bet she’s a doctor and prima in a different world. Jealous I am. I watched her emerge and was envious yet still happy for her. She had developed a confidence in her dance that showed and was rewarded.
My favorite of the whole show. Love the break down of these dances! Thank you!
Before Covid I saw theme and variations at the gala …. Mary Elizabeth sell did the most pure and complete double pirouette to the knee as a Demi …. Just Beautiful 🎀
This series is the gift that keeps giving. Thank you!!! 🙏🏻🥹💕
I’m so glad! My pleasure! ❤️
Our version of Marzi is so hard too! I remember when I first understudied it I struggled so hard. The timing is the hardest part, it's so many teeny tiny steps in such a small amount of music haha. 8 years later, it's one of my favorite dances now and I have done every spot including the lead😂
Never realized how difficult this spritely little dance is! Never appreciated the Corps' plies en pointe. Never realized that the lead does pique turns to the front of the knee. Never appreciated the syncopated timing nor the fact that these difficult steps are executed holding a "flute" prop! Always thought the floutists in the orchestra were "hard at work". Your deconstruction video is amazing! 💕
I did the Reed Flutes/ Mirliton) Marzipan for years! We looked like little French Girls! We had 3 of us for 6 years!
Love this series! 💕
I've never cared for Marzipan, but it's interesting to see how much work goes into it. And Tiler really shines in this role!
I'm returning to ballet at 33 after 5 years, I've always loved this music so so much, I think I'm gonna start adapting and practicing this for me even tough I'm not in performance shape
This series just gives me lots of happiness and smile. ech time I see the notification that a new video have been posted I can't wait to see it. It is so so LOVELlLY!!! THANK YOU, Kathryn!!!
you are irreplaceable!!
In the Bolshoi version it's the dance of the French dolls - the shepherd and the shepherdess - and they do have a little toy lamb with a long ribbon loop attached to it. The duet is one of the highlights of the ballet, so there's never a shortage of applause. In the Mariinsky version (the one choreographed by Vainonen) it's a pas de trois performed by young students of Vaganova academy, it's cute and charming and the audience loves it. I guess the Balanchine version is just unlucky not to get the accolades it deserves
I have not danced this variation but I totally know what you mean about how simple things are so difficult - it reminds me of Mozart, actually. It tends to be underappreciated by the audience because it seems simple, even trite, but you have nowhere to hide. One wrong note sticks out like a sore thumb and it’s all about the quality of the sound or the movement. if you don’t have that quality it’s just terrible to look at or listen to. if it’s flashy, you can hide behind the theatrics; if it’s emotional, you can hide behind emotion, but when it’s just pure, simple, beauty then you just have to get it perfectly right.
Well if it can cheer you up: I always loved this one as a kid! And Spanish dancers. I always thought other pieces like Flowers were a bit too grand and dramatic.
There's so much to watch and see here, I love it! Plus I like baroque music sooo it's a favorite for me, fascinating choreo! I just never liked the bouncy tutus so much haha
THANK YOU FOR THIS COMMENTARY !
can you please do spanish/hot chocolate from nyc ballet it’s my favorite. and the costumes are so beautiful.
Decades ago I guested at a very fine school's Nutcracker in Miami, Florida. One day in rehearsal they ran Marzipan, and I too noticed how hard it really was. Turned out they had entered that dance at a competition and won first place! I guess Marzipan got some love that year!
Amazing!
I’m self taught (mostly with your videos!) and I learned the first half of a not-Balanchine version and I can’t do it if there’s fast music! Hence the reason I don’t do Balanchine and usually stick with your slower, technique based videos😅
I agree…performed Marzipan with Ballet Oklahoma (now OKC Ballet) and it was HARD, and yes, unappreciated. Also had to quick change for Flower corps right after! Super-grateful I had the opportunity to dance it.
Tiler is terrific here. Always thought it interesting that she had already been a principal for a couple years when she did this role, typically done by a corps member or soloist. But obviously they wanted the very best for the TV production.
I had to Google when she became a principal because I thought “surely she already was by 2011” and sure enough! Definitely interesting
I'm seeing the nutcracker today, and your videos have been keeping me hyped up! (I've just been chanting 'sugar plum' on repeat for a week)
I was a child in David Lichen's Festival Ballet First Nutcracker at The Royal Festival Hall in London. Every night I had the pleasure of watching this variation which Is still may favourite of all. I loved the music and his choreography. His Merlitons were three pretty shepherdess in the cutest white fluffy tutus with flutes and tricorn hats, His choreography was magic. Lichine was one of Diaghilev's young dancers and had a difficult personality. He was frankly terrifying to work for, At the dress parade in front of the London press he virtually tore my party dress off me as he didn't like it! I was 15 years old and left practically naked! I was so embarrassed but his choreography was magic and still quite my favourite. His party scene was amazing. I have never seen better. He was skilled at narrative ballets. It was as if the music was written for his scenario. I was lucky to be in it and I learned so much. But the Merlitons were my favourites although they never shook their derrieres enough for Mr Lichine,. "Shake girls" he would scream, out even at dress rehearsals with Princess Margaret there! Thank goodness he left after the First Night. This was the first London Season of the Nutcracker. It seemed to take ages for the rest of the world to follow but look at Xmas now! Almost too many sweets.
Thanks for explaining this. I had seen the Nutcracker yesterday. I had thought the lead marzipan was messing up. I guess she was doing it how she was supposed to be doing it.
Marzipan is most impressive when you know all the mistakes the dancers have to not make in order to perform it.
P.S. Didn't even know there were flutes in this dance. Nice to learn.
P.P.S. Your dog is cute.
OMG that is totally amazing thank you I will so appreciate this scene more and so beautiful fun and happy thanks Kathryn luv you
Awww thank you!
I love these videos so much! Please keep them coming. They are so interesting and you do an amazing job of breaking it all down. On a different note, I also have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and would love a video on that and your journey with it.
im doing marzipan at my ballet school this year, and for me too, so hard!!! just like this, no particularly difficult steps, but the three of us are huffing and puffing by the end every time
Went to see Birmingham Ballet’s Nutcracker yesterday - your videos helped me appreciate it at a whole new level!
Thanks for this talk and posting, Kathryn.
I'm loving these videos!!! Thank you so much, Kathryn!!! I feel exhausted and sore just watching this choreography, they are amazing! xxx
Thank you for these. Your videos make me appreciate these dancers even more. I am a first year season holder to Ballet Arizona and will be seeing Nutcracker in a few weeks and saw Swanlake a last month.
When I was 12, my teacher taught us some of the lead marzipan choreography. For "fun." 22 years later, I haven't forgotten how grueling that was, even as a casual, Christmas-themed end of class time killer.
I’m loving these nutcracker deconstructions! Your insights are fascinating!
Thank you! ❤️
Yay was hoping for this one!!
Marzipan was one of my first Nutcracker loves! The simplicity almost makes it harder- because the steps are so simple and not a speedy grande allegro with floofy skirts a la Waltz or Snow, mistakes and wonky technique are so much easier to spot. If given a choice I'd rank it way up there in difficulty for Nutcracker corps pieces for sure.
Wow so helpful!! I have done Marzipan a couple of times and have never appreciated it as much as I do now! Thank you for this video!
(Also kinda of random but Trisha Wolf just came out with a nutcracker ballet class!!! Just had to put that out there.) 😃🥰
I LOVE THESEEE
My local company's version has four 5-6 years old pages with a female adult dancer who is their leader. The pages are in the most adorable custom and doing their adorable moves, and the adult dancer has very similar movements with the Balanchine version such as hop/plie on pointe. The audience are always impressed by the little ones, including myself. I have to admit I didn't realize how "low key hard" those pointe works are for the adult dancer until the 4th year I saw it.
Love, love, love all of your deconstructions! Imagine having to do the Piqué turn pass on a raked stage-lol 😂. The Academy of Music in Philadelphia had a raked stage before they straightened it some years ago. One of my best friends, named Heidi, could somehow pull off multiple pirouettes while doing the lead. It was incredible-lol 😆. Did you guys sing the Marzipan song? "I'm a little fruit and nut bar..." Keep up the amazing work Kathryn! Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones! 🎉❤
The community ballet production of The Nutcracker that I was in for many years had a shepherdess and her little sheep for the Marzipan number. It was really cute!
I might have missed it, but during this recording, where were you, Kathryn, in your ballet/career timeline? Thank you for doing this! I love this series!
I believe they recorded this after I left the company. So I’m not quite sure!
@@kathryn_morgan I think this is their 2011 recording!
❤❤❤ Marzapan was always my favorite 😍 please do Spanish!
I love marzipan/reed flutes! When I was in ballet and doing the Nutcracker that was always the one that I wanted to do most, and sadly one of the few that I never got to do. We never used established choreography though, so if I had done it, it probably wouldn't have been as difficult as this.
I did this in high school. Different version, obviously. But Yes! So hard and exhausting. And so much pointe work! I think it's iconic, but I don't miss it haha
this series is awesome id love a deconstruction of spanish and the pdd
What an adorable pooch! 😍
did a very hop heavy version with a professional company my senior year of high school and it was so brutal. satisfying though!!
I've done Marzipan (Balanchine's version) and omg it's so fun yet hard at the same time.
Oooo! 😊 Love these! 🙌🩰💐
I've always loved Marzipan- the music and the costumes and all of it. I'd like to see little breakdowns of all the divertissments- maybe with some comparisons to other companies like you did with Sugarplum?
I absolutely should!
So nice to be educated about this. We don’t know how difficult this is until you break it down. 🤗🩰🩵 I appreciate this so much more now
I can't wait to see you do Mother Ginger
The 9:33 assembles are gorgeous to be followed by WTF 9:42-9:50 - so unflattering! The Marzipan-Peed-Her-Pants-Waddle. New ballet step: Pipi du Pantalon
I love the many elements of Nutcracker. But of all the roles, and I wanted to dance soooo many roles, Arabian, or coffee if you will, was my Ultimate! Can you break down Wendy Whelan in Coffee?!! And by the way, I was always wild for a spray painted pointe shoe in any color!!
Yes party scene!!!
I have edited music for nutcracker a few times and I almost always make those first counts louder with my editing software so my girls can gear it.
WOW! Thank you!
Hot Chocolate and Marzipan are my favorites!
I don't dance, I've never danced, and I can't appreciate this the same way that someone who does or has can, but it is so impressive how these dancers can make something so technically difficult look effortless and beautiful. That moment where the corps is behind by one beat is so simple, and yet looks so interesting. And the part at 12:32 just looks so effortless even though I'm learning here that it's not.
Did Balanchine use the term hitch kick or temps de fleche or even jette passe? I could see Robbin’s being more likely to use such a term.
Poli's next please! It's the hardest children's role in the Balanchine version❤
I may have missed it, but which role did you dance when you did this piece? What year in your nycb career did you do it, because you said its usually for more advanced corps members. Also is lead marzipan a role danced by principals or only soloists and corps members?
How do you feel about the 1986 motion picture version of The Nutcracker and the Kremlin Ballet version with Marie all grown up and being courted by a young Drosselmeyer?
I'm not a dancer but... yeah, that looks like it's hard. SO MUCH en pointe in that, youch!! (Beautifully done, though - especially with the costumes!!)
Our version of "Marzipan" at my local studio was actually "Candy Canes". Similar movement vocabulary but still so dang hard - and we had to dance with giant candy cane shaped props! Lol
I would love to she you deconstruct the Marzipan from the 1993 version Margaret Tracey's gargouillades look so pretty which i didnt know was possible lol
Katie ❤❤❤❤❤❤ 😊