by Jill Philby

“The Nutcracker Ballet” is coming to CY Stephens Auditorium on December 14 and 15, 2024, but you can get a sneak peak with excerpts from the performance at Ames Public Library on Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 10:30am. The performance will be followed by an opportunity from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to use your engineering and artistic skills in a Nutcracker design challenge using LEGO® or other materials. In addition, attendees will be entered into a drawing for free tickets to see “The Nutcracker” at Stephens Auditorium courtesy of Iowa State Center.

You may be familiar with the story of “The Nutcracker Ballet.” In the ballet telling, a young girl, Clara, takes pity on a broken nutcracker only to dream about him coming to life. Together, the Nutcracker Prince and Clara defeat the Mouse King, with Clara saving the Nutcracker Prince’s life. Traveling to the Kingdom of the Sweets, she is honored by the Sugar Plum Fairy with dancing and festivities. 

“The Nutcracker Ballet” is a beautiful work of art to experience, and, if you take the time to look, you will see science and math infused into every aspect of the production. From the symmetry and geometry of the dance and rhythm and tempo of the music, to the engineering and design of the sets and costumes, science is there. 

The Nutcracker himself is a wonderful piece of engineering. Standing wooden soldier nutcrackers, like those in “The Nutcracker Ballet,” were first seen in Germany around 1800. This type of nutcracker works by the use of a lever. Open the nutcracker’s mouth by using the lever, insert a nut, push the lever closed, and—if enough force is used—the nut will crack open! 

Most wooden soldier nutcrackers today are purely decorative and come in a huge variety of sizes, colors, and designs. While the traditional soldier is the most common form, nutcrackers can also be found as mermaids, construction workers, and even mariachi band members. 

If you are interested in reading an updated version of the story with your child, check out “Mary Engelbreit’s Nutcracker Christmas” (E ENG) from the Christmas holiday books in the Youth Services area. Then come spend a Saturday morning here at the library to watch parts of the story come to life, enter for a chance to win free tickets, and create your own version of a nutcracker.