When Boulder Ballet visits the Stanley Hotel each winter, the historic venue transforms into something akin to a snow globe, with the glass-walled, 250-seat Pavilion auditorium framing dancers against the backdrop of rock faces, waterfalls, and winter sunlight. This year’s “Nutcracker Suite,” which runs Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Dec. 14 at 2 p.m., continues a tradition described by Artistic Director Ben Needham-Wood as “one of those beautiful, beautiful things that actually predated my arrival at the Boulder Ballet in 2022.”
While the company performed a full-length “Nutcracker” with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra at Macky Auditorium in Boulder over Thanksgiving weekend, and took over Vance Brand Auditorium in Longmont with the local symphony orchestra last weekend, its Estes Park production is a smaller, more intimate version.
“The dancers are performing so beautifully,” Needham-Wood said over the phone after the group’s Macky shows and the day before the ensemble travelled to Longmont. “Every single year, it feels like the company just continues to get joy from their work. They continue to elevate their craft, and I think that this year really has been the strongest year for our nonprofit organization.”
A suite designed for the space
The “Nutcracker Suite” is built specifically for the Stanley’s Pavilion, which lacks the fly space and set capacity needed for the battle scene or the Act I party. Instead, audiences are welcomed directly into the snow forest and the Kingdom of the Sweets.
“We pare it down to just be the second act, predominantly,” Needham-Wood said. “We rework it to share a little bit of ‘The Nutcracker’ story, setting up the table where it starts with the Nutcracker and Clara’s pas de deux in the forest full of snow. Then, as the performance continues, they emerge in the Kingdom of the Sweets.”
The one-hour program features 10 professional company dancers and about 10 advanced students from the school, who appear in roles including Flowers, Marzipan, and Chocolate. “This version has a smaller student cast,” he said. “But they’re doing amazing. The Dance of the Flowers has a core of six members, Marzipan has two, and we’ve just added two school members to the Chocolate dance this year.”
Rather than elaborate sets, the company lets the Pavilion’s natural beauty frame the movement. Boulder Ballet installs its own Marley floor for safety and traction, and the Stanley provides lighting support to add color and dimension. Beyond that, Needham-Wood prefers to let the venue do the heavy lifting.
“We really just let the space’s natural beauty speak for itself,” he said. “We bring in a Marley floor that we put down on top of the wood that just allows the dancers to have the necessary traction for their footwear for the performance … It’s really a magical view that I think a lot of theaters try to create in an indoor space, so it’s kind of a great thing that we do have the natural setting.”
An Estes tradition with deep community ties
For Needham-Wood, one of the most meaningful aspects of the Estes Park performances is the connection the company has built with local audiences. “The audience is really right there, and it’s more intimate,” he said. “It brings home the direct impact of this stuff that the performing arts have, and you can actually see people face-to-face feeling the joy of the holidays and of this magical production. It really brings us down to Earth.”
The company typically arrives Friday night for spacing rehearsals to ensure the choreography fits the Pavilion’s unique layout. Saturday morning rehearsals integrate student dancers before three weekend performances. Needham-Wood also hopes the Estes community will see even more of the company in the coming years.
“We would absolutely love to bring more productions up to Estes,” he said. “The relationships we’ve built are incredible. The gratitude of our dancers in holding those relationships is really special.” He added that the opening of the new Stanley Event Center in 2028 will likely create additional opportunities.
For now, the “Nutcracker Suite” remains one of the most picturesque and family-friendly holiday offerings in the region. “This performance is perfect for anyone who wants a dose of the holiday season in a stunning environment,” Needham-Wood said. “People should feel welcome to bring anyone there. It’s family-friendly but is fun for people of all ages.”