Curtain Up on the Nutcracker with Nicole Kelsch and Edward Atsinger
- Cindy Case
- 19 hours ago
- 7 min read
After premiering in Annapolis with fully completed sets, costumes, and choreography, a new production of The Nutcracker is born! We at Ballet Theatre of Maryland are deeply grateful for the support of our community, both behind the scenes and in the audience.
Bringing this production to the stage required a great deal of effort over a period of years. We've followed along for some parts of the journey here on the blog: after announcing the new Nutcracker as part of our 2025-2026 season, we took a peek into the rehearsal process as our intensive students workshopped the Snow scene last summer. More recently, we shared progress on the production's sets with Corey Sentz and its new costumes with Karissa Kralik and Clara Molina.
Today, we look back over the whole process with an exclusive interview with Artistic Director Nicole Kelsch and Board President Ted Atsinger. Read on to learn about the inspirations behind the show, what they're proudest of, and more!
Nicole, what inspired you to create this Annapolis-themed version of The Nutcracker?
"I've wanted to create a Nutcracker for a while, but I didn't have a solid inspiration on how I wanted to make it ours and make it different from other versions. I was sitting at a Leadership Anne Arundel luncheon next to Karen Brown, who is the President and CEO of Historic Annapolis. She started talking about programs they do for kids around the holidays that talk about sweets that were eaten in Annapolis back in the 1800s, and that clicked. I thought, 'Oh, I can do something with this.' And then a story started snowballing out of me.
"When I was a child, I wanted to be Clara basically from the time that I knew what ballet was. That has made it really special to be able to create a Nutcracker and to put the things in it that I want to."
Ted, what has been your role in bringing the production to the stage?
"I've always seen my role as trying to help Nicole implement her vision. We knew that we needed to start with concept art, so the first person I thought of was Alex Foley. Nicole knew him, I've worked with him on several productions, and he has the ability to tap into that whimsical, dreamlike place we needed. That was the catalyst.
"Once Nicole approved the concept art, we started to ask how we would actually build this thing. From there, my role has been to conceptualize design and process and then find people to bring it to life. Alex had an initial design that we tried implementing one way that didn't end up working. Just physically, we couldn't build it the way that we wanted to. So that was when I took a larger role and designed the set with a concept that had been going around in my head for a while.
"I've seen a lot of trends developing onstage, whether that's Broadway or ballet. In today's day and age of AI and CG, when you go see a film, they can make anything happen. Now people aren't wowed by that, because even the games on their phone look photorealistic. So I think that's why you're seeing a trend in live theatre to say, 'Let's show these pieces coming together as part of the production.'
"That was a concept I thought would serve this production well. One of the reasons I believe classical ballet is the pinnacle of the art form is that it has two facets. The individual dancer is working tirelessly to make their technique and aesthetic as good as it can be. Ideally, they're working with their own body and what it can do. Then, you also have the whole ensemble of dancers coming together and operating in absolute synchronisation. There's this beauty that happens where you have that individual excellence with group synchronicity. You can see the beauty in a solo where one dancer shines, but then also the beauty in the pas de deux or the larger ensemble pieces.
"So when I was thinking about the set, I wanted the set to dance in the same way. I wanted the individual pieces to be visually striking as you see the set coming together and assembling. It's harder work to do the set change while the audience is watching, and it means you have to make set pieces that look good on both sides, but it's worth it. I think that it engages the audience now in a way that maybe 50 years ago they wouldn't have cared so much, because they didn't have access to all of that other media. So that's why I'm so excited about how we're staging it."
Have there been any challenges either of you has overcome along the way?
Nicole: "I think it's always a challenge to put something new on the stage, right? It doesn't always work the way that you envisioned, so you just roll with it. There are times when someone could get to an entrance in the studio no problem, but onstage, they can't make it through the wings in time. That means it has to pivot in some way. Fortuantely, everyone involved is very in it together for the final product. We all want this to be fantastic and work the best way."
Ted: "I've worked on a lot of productions over the years, and sometimes people who are artists have a very specific idea of what something has to be like. And that can be a great thing, because as a leader you really have to be driving toward your vision, but sometimes artists can be inflexible even if what they envision isn't actually working. The great thing about this process with BTM is that everybody on the team, from Nicole guiding the ship on down, has been flexible. They'll say, 'That was my original idea, but it's not really working. So how can we make it a wonderful thing but changeable so it will work?' That's been really inspiring to me."
Nicole concurs: "The most important thing is the audience. What are we giving to them? I always say this is a Christmas gift that we get to give to thousands of people. It's not necessarily about, 'This has to happen on count 7.' Is it better for the overall picture for it to happen on count 8 or even count 2? Because that is what's most important. That and making sure the performers feel comfortable and safe, so that they can be confident."
What part of the production are you proudest of?
Ted: "Personally, I'm most proud to have been involved with this whole thing. Because I'm on the board, that has meant everything from helping fundraise the show to trying to be a support for Nicole to bounce ideas off of. Of course, anytime you can design or build something that actually appears in the show, that's a wonderful thing. For me, it's really about being able to take Nicole's vision and help her put it onstage."
Nicole: "I'm proud of the dancers, from the littlest ones up to the company. Although we had been working with the student cast since the beginning of the season, the company had only three weeks to learn most of Nutcracker. I had ideas in my head, and I would come in and say, 'I don't know if this is going to work, but let's give it a try.'
"Every time, it was just a wonderful experience to have the dancers be so willing. If something didn't work, we could figure it out together. I'm really thankful that that's how the dancers work in this company."
What do you find most meaningful?
Ted: "For me, not only steeping it in the Annapolis culture and history, but also the way that it has the backdrop of the War of 1812. I hope that it ties together the nature of Annapolis: the military side, the artistic side, the sailing community, St. Johns, and more. For me, it's really meaningful that all those aspects of our community and history tie together within this story."
Nicole: "I wanted to create something where the people of Annapolis saw themselves and the history of their town. I have lived here for 20 years now, so this is home for me.
"I also wanted it to have a strong family theme. Most Nutcrackers do, but because there are military families in Annapolis that deal with the reality of deployment and loss, I wanted to give them something where they see their community's experiences represented. Even with loss, the memories of loved ones are special for their families."
Any final thoughts?
Nicole: "I hope Ted knows how much I appreciate his efforts."
Ted: "I do. Every time I get to be involved in a production, whether it's a character role walking on or what, it's such a privilege for me. It's just a joy to be part of."
Ted: "I would also like to express my own gratitude. Corey Sentz has been just fantastic at providing an organisational aspect that I could never have done any of this stuff without her. Jan Orazem and Tom Thompson are just master craftsmen. They really put a lot of love into the set; they've just been amazing. Alysa Cripe, who's constructing our textiles on the set, has come up with some fantastic stuff. She's also helped out with a tree design that's never been implemented before.
"I've already mentioned him, but also Alex Foley. His vision for the conceptual art has really guided a lot of the final result onstage. The Goldens, Sara and Wendy, their painting is beautiful. It's very realistic in the parts that should be realistic and whimsical where it needs to be whimsical. The whole team was just amazing, and they really applied their top-tier professional talents to help us make this thing."
Our world-premiering weekend is done, but a few tickets are still available for the December 20 & 21 performances! Visit our Nutcracker page to learn more about the production and reserve your seats today.
Promotional photos by Joanne Salyer
Stage photos by Joseph Mazzara
