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What It’s REALLY Like Dancing NYCB’s Nutcracker | Chaos, Mishaps & Secrets

Kathryn Morgan

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What’s it 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 like dancing in New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker? After 10 years and countless performances of Marzipan, Dewdrop, Sugarplum, Flowers, Snow, and more, I’m finally spilling my wildest backstage stories - from hilarious onstage mishaps to emergency cover calls, conductor chaos, and the moments that almost went very wrong.
If you love The Nutcracker or want to know what professional ballet is actually like behind the curtain, this video is for you. 💫
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Welcome to a world where ballet isn’t something you have to train for - it’s something you can live. I’m Kathryn Morgan, former New York City Ballet soloist, entrepreneur, and your guide to a more elegant, intentional, ballet-inspired life.

For over a decade, my subscribers have trusted me to translate the beauty, discipline, and storytelling of ballet into everyday inspiration. I’m not here to be your technique teacher - I translate 20 years of professional ballet elegance into accessible beauty, lifestyle, and cultural content for sophisticated women who value timeless grace over fleeting trends. I’m here to bring ballet to you, and then bring you into ballet through honest insights, real stories, and a lifetime of experience both onstage and off.

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤!
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𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴. 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶!

#nutcracker #nycballet #balanchine #balletbehindthescenes #nutcracketballet

0:00 Intro
0:24 Party Scene
0:41 Grandmother
1:27 Meticulous Rehearsal
2:06 Stage Laugh
2:38 BEST Party Scene Story
4:27 Battle Scene
5:12 Snowflakes
5:45 Snow Games
6:28 Snow Rehearsal
6:58 Nutcracker Tech Rehearsal
8:45 First Few Shows
9:03 Funny Snow Story
9:40 Finding Things in the Snow
9:58 Another Funny Snow Story
10:41 Pom Pom Protocol
11:10 Spanish
12:03 Spanish Costumes
12:22 Dyed Pointe Shoes
12:57 Marzipan
13:27 Marzipan Debut
14:18 Funny Marzi Story
14:44 At the Mercy of the Conductor
15:13 I was NERVOUS
16:05 Flowers
17:06 Favorite Flowers Story
18:28 The Reason for the Story
19:08 Emergency Rehearsals
19:38 I Never Had to THINK So Much!
20:38 Dewdrop
20:56 Ballet Masters
21:48 Relationship with Conductors
22:33 Favorite Dewdrop Story
23:27 Sugarplum
23:50 Casting
24:04 Partner Switch
25:10 Famous Disc
25:55 Fight Calls
26:21 How the Disc Works
26:38 Balanchine’s vs. “Normal People Version”
27:47 Wrap Up

20 Comments

@carolyncuesta774 9 months ago

My godmother used to dance with the NJ ballet. after she retired we went to go see the nutcracker and whoever was supposed to be grandma i injured herself like MINUTES before curtain. My godmother went back stage to say hi to some people she she knew and they recognized her and they literally grabbed her and put her in costume. We were all in the audience wondering where Aunt Rose went 🤣 we were SO surprised! It was definitely a core memory to see her hobble out on stage while we were in the audience looking for her and saving her seat

@Relentless_Starlight 9 months ago

I love hearing about the haphazardly controlled chaos however, as a stage manager, my heart dropped at the solider doll story. That scenario is probably going to infiltrate my dreams now. Someone forgetting a prop or a entrance cue? That's one thing. But when they're supposed to be hidden on stage and you can't sneak them in without the audience seeing? Absolutely terrifying.

@Charcharlatte-123 9 months ago

My dad took me to see my first nutcracker when I was 4 and in order to try and keep me quiet he told me to squeeze his hand when I saw something I liked. He said I was squeezing his hand the entire time ❤ It’s always lovely to hear your stories!

@awiddy 9 months ago

I love hearing these behind-the-scenes stories, Katie! It would be so fun if once in a while you could get a guest dancer to come chat with you and we could hear about their debuts, mishaps, times they were thrown on at the last minute, etc. It wouldn't even have to be a NYCB/Balanchine dancer... it would be fun to hear you chat about "in our version, we did *this*" kind of thing.

@XatxiFly 4 months ago

3:58 WHAAAT that's WILD, amazing save

@user-el2nh5uo1w 9 months ago

I know they’re in a rush, but pulling objects out of the snow seems like a good idea.

@melissaking6019 3 months ago

Thank you, Kathryn, for your very interesting and funny memories of all your Nutcracker roles.

@GiselleKlara 4 months ago

Did the variation in the Balanchine way once and agree: LIFE CHANGING! It was soo fun

@noelparker741 9 months ago

Marzipan is so insanely technical, I love and am frightened by it every time I see it 😆

@erinw4935 9 months ago

God, Katie your new colors look SO GOOD. Killin' it!

@PizzaBewithYoo 9 months ago

Dance-related hazard story: A dancer friend was in a high school production of “Oklahoma.” For the big, title song number, they had on exaggerated square dance dresses. Tons of tulle crinolines, the cotton gingham skirts stuck out a mile. Straw boater style hats with fake flowers on the brim. When they got to “and when we saaaaaay—yeeow!” part of the lyrics, the girls were all supposed to flick their skirts up for a flash of those white tulle crinolines—except her skirt got stuck on the straw hat, so, she’s trying to dance around, yanking at her dress, with her face completely covered by her skirt, bumping into people. Only lasted a few seconds, and she was never in danger of falling off the stage, but when she finally got the skirt down, she was disoriented as to where she was. Hilarity ensued. She went on to be a dance major in college.

@Da-Real-Cookie-Monster 7 months ago

Love your stories - stage life is something I've never experienced but I can imagine it through your memories

@uikmnhj4me 9 months ago

You should do a series called Corps Lore!

@CarolinaPeaches 9 months ago

I was literally sitting here watching one of your Nutcracker deconstruction videos from last year when you posted this! I’ve never been a dancer, nor have I ever taken a ballet class - I’m a grandma of 5 that truly enjoys just watching your videos! You’re excellent as a presenter. I know last year you mentioned feeling burnout, but I hope you know there are many like me who just enjoy watching you for YOU! You are truly a gifted person - your piano-playing skills are phenomenal too! I’m a follower for the long haul, no matter which direction you take! Please bring back your online store so I can grab some tee shirts and stuff! Hope you’re feeling good; you look incredible! Merry Christmas, Katie!

@sarahdalton1428 9 months ago

Thank you so much for sharing these stories and little inside secrets! I’m a retired professional figure skater, and loved my time in shows. I reminisce all the time and this video sent me back to some great feelings. Also love seeing the similarities between a ballet company and a touring skating company.

@HeatherLandon227 9 months ago

My community Ballet company did "Christmas in Toyland" every other year. There's this part that's "frost sprites" that I understudied for. SO- one time around I was up for the frost sprites. It's basically that ballet's snow/flowers.

Also- another time my company did the second act of Nutcracker... and Snow. I have a knack for memorizing Choreography.

@molly.erickson1643 9 months ago

I've been watching your videos about NYC Nutcracker since I was in high school and I have tickets to go see it next week! Thanks for deepening my love of ballet! I haven't danced myself in many years but watching the channel helps me keep ballet in my life.

@KimJayViet 9 months ago

I finished your playlist from last year just yesterday so it's nice that you capped it off with this latest vlog. What I find most interesting is your story about having to do the mirrored version of Flowers. It's a behind the scenes that I've never seen played out in a film about ballet (unless I missed one?). I'd love to see that kind of inner conflict and rising tension in any film about a dance company. Also, the game that you play to make Snow feel fresh after doing it 30 times is a great idea. You should gather all of these stories and write a screenplay about it; I'd certainly watch a film about a ballet company that's less about the romance (The Turning Point comes to mind) and more about the technical side but then that might be too erudite for someone who just wants to see people dance. Anyway, thank you for sharing what ballet company work is really about. I can see everyone sucking up to the conductor so that he doesn't screw someone up. Imagine a conflict like The Red Shoes and the latter speeds up everything but the dancer triumphs anyway! Love.

@ejclyn 9 months ago

I love your channel so much! My grandmother took me to Nutcracker every year at Houston Ballet in the late 80’s early 90’s. We would wear velvet and silk dresses and fur coats and be so hot because it’s Texas but we had to be fancy! We would have Shirley Temples at intermission and she would let me pick something from the gift shop; Sugar Plum Fairy wand, Rat King snowglobe. Those are the sweetest memories ❤

@arex9000 9 months ago

I remember i saw a student fall during the entrance at a local ballet school and she kept going. Those moments I'm like way to go for keep going and being professional at your age. Along with I hope she isnt hard one herself for something minor since some of these dancers did go pro.