Being immersed in the magical land of The Nutcracker is one of the Coastal Bend’s most cherished holiday traditions, and this year marks Corpus Christi Ballet‘s 50th anniversary of the dance company and the classic show. During its first year of production, the ballet was created from scratch with brand-new dancers and an orchestra conductor unfamiliar to Artistic Director Cristina Munro. This upcoming December, she and her daughter, Co-Artistic Director Alex Emory, are celebrating the 50th year of the beautiful ballet with dancers and staff whom they now call family.
Over time, the production has changed each year depending on the number of dancers, with dance sequences shifting choreography and dancers taking different roles. Whether it’s Clara and the Nutcracker or the snow scene, magic is sprinkled from the stage into the hearts of audience members every show.
“We always try to tweak the choreography, and then we’ll invite however many people we know and remember, to come back and watch the show,” Emory said. To celebrate this milestone, the Corpus Christi Ballet has contacted past and present members of the show, reflecting on previous performances with special photos and touching memories as well as the unique twists on dance sequences.
“It pulls everybody together, [and during] Christmas particularly, everybody’s ready to have a holiday spirit and outing together, especially something that the children and the adults can enjoy,” Munro said.
The accomplished mother-daughter duo expressed how rewarding and special it feels to have made such a long-lasting impact on dancers and the local community. They reminisced about their first production of The Nutcracker and called 50 years a dream come true.
“Lots of people have come and gone,” Emory said. “I think what makes us feel so good is people tell us, ‘You know, that time I had there was so special and it really made me who I was.’ And usually dancers go off to be pretty impressive people; they’re very smart, very intelligent, very educated. And a lot of that is what they learned in ballet — the drive, the ambition, even if they didn’t know [if] they were going become a dancer or not, they were just driven in anything.”
As former dancers themselves, seeing students at 5 years old grow to be mothers who now bring their children to the show makes the 50-year milestone extra special for the directorial duo, watching their legacy bloom.
“It’s definitely grown. And [this year] when we auditioned, we had 117 dancers in the production. I don’t think it was nearly that big before. I just feel very grateful; we’ve had so many people who’ve helped keep the arts alive in Corpus, and you know it isn’t just me, it takes so many people,” Munro said.
The tradition of attending The Nutcracker is a love shared among locals and within the community Corpus Christi Ballet has built for 50 years, driven by the passion of directors Munro and Emory. The ballet continues to capture the eyes of audiences, spreading the festive cheer with every twist and snowflake, transporting them into a magical world every holiday season in the Coastal Bend.
The 2024 Nutcracker performances will be held on Dec. 7, 8, 14 and 15. Tickets are available online.
