When the days start getting shorter and the wind becomes biting, that’s when ballet dancers all around the world start preparing for their busiest time of the year—”The Nutcracker” season. Characterized by fluffy tutus and colorful decorations, “The Nutcracker” celebrates all things fantastic and magical.
The ballet starts with our protagonist, Clara, at a Christmas party. Her mischievous brother Fritz antagonizes her throughout the opening sequence, even going so far as to break her new nutcracker she received as a present from her mysterious Uncle Drosselmeyer. Like magic, Drosselmeyer repairs the Nutcracker, and the party’s over. That night, Clara finds herself being terrorized by giant mice, and soon a battle erupts between the Mouse Queen and the newly-turned-human Nutcracker.
After the battle, Clara and her Nutcracker are transported to the Land of Sweets, where different desserts from around the world perform for her, overseen by the Sugarplum Fairy. Finally, Clara wakes up from her nap, and her Nutcracker is a toy once again.
All around the world, dance companies perform Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” each winter. Nolte Academy, a dance studio in Iowa City, is no exception. This year, Nolte celebrates its 20th year of performing “The Nutcracker”.
For all 20 years, West High students have participated in Nolte’s “The Nutcracker,” despite the long hours of practice and intense competition.
Sadie Frisvold ’25 has been in “The Nutcracker” for 10 years and danced at Nolte for 11. Now, she spends nearly 30 hours a week dancing, splitting her time between technique practice and rehearsals for performances. Frisvold is also an AP student, leads a club and takes classes at the University of Iowa.
When asked about how she balances all of her responsibilities, Frisvold joked, saying she didn’t sleep. More seriously, she responded by saying, “I just try to get as much done during school as I can and prioritize what has to get done immediately versus what can wait.”
However, Frisvold believes the experience of dancing makes up for the long hours. “The feeling of holding a balance, hitting a turn exactly right, or finishing a long adagio is really exhilarating, like it was all worth it.”
Grace Walker ’26 agrees. “I could not imagine my life without going to class every day and doing the thing I love,” Walker said. “It’s just a thrilling experience to dance every single day.”
This year, Frisvold performed as the Mouse Queen, as well as a Snowflake and a Flower. The snowflakes are the ones who welcome Clara to the Land of Sweets, and in Nolte’s version, their dancing is accompanied by the Iowa City Girls Choir. As a Flower, she dances the Waltz of the Flowers alongside the Dewdrop Fairy, closing off the performances of the desserts.
In her 10th year of Nolte’s “The Nutcracker”, Walker is performing as the Sugarplum Fairy this year, as well as the Arabian Coffee lead. Walker is also a drum major in the West High marching band, an AP student and participates in Nolte’s competitive ballet program.
Being on stage isn’t where many dancers’ favorite memories are formed. Backstage, surrounded by their fellow dancers as they prepare for their performances, is where Frisvold finds comfort. “The dressing room is so much fun because it’s so unserious. When we get to class, we try to lock in and focus on our technique and artistry, so in the dressing room, we’re able to relax and have fun,” Frisvold said.
“It’s so fun rooting for your friends, and getting excited when they do really good,” Walker said. “It almost helps you forget to be nervous for your own roles.”
Onstage, however, Walker has a different experience. “Two things either happen. I’m either hyper-aware…or I just black out.”
Once she gets off stage, however, the welcoming community of her fellow performers greets her. “Even if I’m not 110% proud of myself, the feeling that everyone was watching me and care enough to say something, it just warms my heart,” Walker said. “It makes everything so worth it.”
Both Walker and Frisvold danced opposite Paul Amrani this year, a Nolte alum who went on to become a professional dancer, touring the country as well as dancing in New York and Chicago. Amrani played the Nutcracker and the Cavalier opposite Walker’s Sugarplum Fairy.
“[Dancing opposite Paul] was amazing,” Frisvold said. “Paul is such a great person in general…it was just amazing to see them dance and hear about some of their experiences in New York.”
As a senior, this Nutcracker was especially poignant for Frisvold. “When I first started in the Nutcracker, I was seven years old and didn’t know how to do a tendu, let alone do pointe work,” said Frisvold. Her first performance in “The Nutcracker” was a Polichinelle, one of the children of Mother Ginger.
Now, the Polichinelles watch Frisvold from the wings, waiting for their turn to be Mouse Queen. “Some of the best dancers at our studio are years younger than me and I’m so proud of them every day, I try to learn off of what they do and I love watching them perform,” Frisvold said.
“When I was younger, and I’d watch them, I’d be like ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t wait until I’m old enough to do that role and be that big kid on stage’,” Walker said. “Now that I’m here, it’s really strange, and really exciting, honestly. Because it’s a dream.”
