Stitching a New Nutcracker with Karissa and Clara

Cindy Case
Dec 1, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Jul 26

Ballerina in a lavender tutu and tiara poses en pointe, smiling with arms outstretched against a purple-to-white backdrop.

The turkey has been eaten, and the temperature is dropping--here in Annapolis, that means it's almost time for The Nutcracker! Last weekend, Ballet Theatre of Maryland performed our all-new, Annapolis-themed production for the very first time for audiences in Hampstead.

We still have a few weeks before our shows at Maryland Hall, so I caught up with Wardrobe Coordinators Karissa Kralik and Clara Molina about what it was like to bring a new production of The Nutcracker to the stage. Keep reading for a sneak preview of some of their favorite costumes!

Creating New Concepts

Dressing for the Party—and a Battle!

The seeds of the new Nutcracker were planted long before the new production came to life. Our Artistic Director, Nicole Kelsch, approached Karissa after Thanksgiving in 2023 to create concept art for how Clara, The Nutcracker, and other members of the party scene might be dressed.

Smiling woman with long brown hair in a black top, posed against a plain white studio background. — Wardrobe Coordinator and Principal Dancer Karissa Kralik

Karissa says, "Nicole had already reached out to Historic Annapolis and knew what time period she was looking at as well as guidelines on color and her general idea, but there was still a lot of opportunity for creativity. Dressing Clara in white and blue wasn't a far departure from what we already had, but putting her in a little girl's nightgown and letting her be a child was refreshing to imagine."

Pencil sketch of two white-and-blue dress designs labeled Clara Nightgown + Dressing Gown, on a blank page, delicate and calm

White ruffled dress with blue trim and buttons hangs on a rack in a fitting room, its long skirt pooling on the floor.

Karissa continues, "That was when I came up with the concept for the robe, because it always bothered me in productions where Clara goes out in the snow in just her nightgown. It makes me so happy that Nicole found room for it in the narrative and kept that piece of the story."

Hand-drawn Nutcracker costume sketch labeled 1815 Naval Captain, showing blue-and-white jacket, pants, and black hat on white paper. — Karissa's original concept art for the Nutcracker's uniform

Two ballet dancers in blue and white costumes pose smiling against a blue snowy backdrop with snowflakes. — Company dancers Isaac Martinez and Brenna Sweeney wear the Nutcracker's naval uniform and Clara's nightgown

Crafting A Land of Confections

Wardrobe Coordinator Clara Molina became involved in designing the new Nutcracker in October and November of 2024, when Nicole asked her to contribute concept art for the delicious treats in Act II.

Young woman with long brown hair and a slight smile, wearing a black spaghetti-strap top against a plain white background. — Wardrobe Coordinator and Demi-Soloist Dancer Clara Molina

Clara says, "The concept drawings started last fall, and then I built the Sugar Plum tutu in January and February for our promotional materials. As we've thought about the production, I've been gathering material [fabric] for at least a year."

Fashion sketch of a floral purple and pink dress with layered skirt and cap sleeves on a mannequin-like figure, white background

Smiling ballerina in a blue leotard holds a purple sequined costume in a dance studio with mirrors and other dancers.

The first design Clara made was for the Caramel divertissements, which most audiences will recognize as Arabian. "Since it was the first one, it was really cool to see how it actually panned out."

Colored fashion sketch of a faceless woman in a long peach dress with ornate bodice, on white paper with color swatches.

Gold and beige dress laid flat on a dark floor, with sheer sleeves, metallic bodice, black paisley trim, and shimmery skirt.

Creating something spectacular—on a deadline

Something that came up in our post about the new Nutcracker's scenery is how The Nutcracker is often a ballet company's biggest and most complex production. Because it will be performed year after year and will draw the widest range of audience members, The Nutcracker is worth the extra time and effort.

Colorful period-style costume jackets and vests hang on a rack in a room, with green and copper satin and lace trim.

The same is true for the production's costuming, so Karissa and Clara had a big job on their hands. Karissa says, "It felt very overwhelming at times to tackle a beast like this. There were a lot of things I wanted to focus on after working on the previous production for nine seasons: making things as washable as possible, making maintenance easy, and making sizing more interchangeable."

Colorful princess dresses on clear hangers in a boutique, with pastel blue, pink, white, and green satin and tulle gowns. — While the Flowers costumes were constructed in-house, the elegant skirts for our new Snow corps come from PrimaDonna Tutus

Clara describes the process as a big learning experience for her: "I needed to create a lot of new costume pieces I've never made before, modify patterns to suit the production, and even just learn to go with the flow."

She went on, "I had to learn to work with things as they come instead of everything going perfectly to plan. Since it's brand-new from top to bottom, we were all figuring out all aspects of the production at the same time. That meant the process was more fluid than how I typically work. The result is an accomplishment I'm looking forward to seeing on the Maryland Hall stage."

Three dancers kneel around a purple glittery costume on a black studio floor, carefully adjusting sequins and tulle. — Clara, Catherine Welch (top) and Hannah Hanson (right) work on the Sugarplum Tutu

As with most things, it was a group effort. For the costumes created by BTM, Karissa and Clara received support on costume construction from Karen Kralik, Laurie Molina, Anne Seitz, and Amanda Cobb, as well as costume detailing from Amanda Cobb, Gabrielle DeJong, and Emery Newton. Behind the scenes, many company dancers also volunteered their time between rehearsals to help bring the costumes to life.

Accomplishing a brand-new production

With the bulk of the work for The Nutcracker's costumes done after our performance on November 23, Karissa and Clara are seeing their concepts come to life.

Karissa wanted each Party mom's dress to feel unique, so she sent Karen Kralik six different patterns to work from. When they arrived in Annapolis, Karissa put on the finishing touches. She says, "I think the party mom dresses made for the biggest transformation. Watching their faces when they put them on for the first time, I saw them go, 'Oh, I feel very different, I feel very ladylike."

Two smiling women in blue and brown period-style gowns stand backstage in a dressing room with costumes hanging behind them. — Ellie Goods and Lauren Anderson

Two women smile backstage in red and green period gowns with lace trim, standing in a dressing room with mirrors. — Madeline Jones and Alyssa Hyman

Karissa continues, "It's fun to let costumes be transformational for the individual and not just the person who made them. That's always the goal when a dancer puts on something new--they should feel more connected to their character."

Close-up of shiny red-and-white striped fabric with pale yellow ruffles, like a costume or dress, in bright light. — The Popcorn girl's butter-yellow skirt and striped bodice perfectly capture the treat she embodies

Clara was glowing when I asked about how she felt after the first performance of the new Nutcracker. "Last week we did a run-through, and I sat down and realized everything was done. It was a very nice wash of relief, and also something to be proud of. It's a brand-new production from top to bottom, and it is absolutely an honor to get to design all of these things. Hopefully, they will be around for many years to come."

Pink satin ballet costume with floral sequins and green trim laid on a dark floor, softly lit. — When I asked Clara which of the costumes she had made were her favorites, this new Dew Drop Fairy was high on the list.

Both Clara and Karissa expressed gratitude and a big sense of accomplishment. The costumes that you'll see onstage this December represent months and even years of work behind the scenes. We can't wait to share them with you!

Smiling woman in a silver ball gown and blue jewelry stands in a costume dressing room, surrounded by hanging dresses. — Karissa dressed as Clara's mother before our performance at Coppermine Pantherplex

Smiling ballerina in lavender tutu poses with a small black dog beside a lit Christmas tree and nutcracker. — Clara wearing the Sugar Plum tutu at an event with Pherm Brewing

Tickets are going fast, so visit our Nutcracker page to reserve your seats today!

Two ballet dancers pose under The Nutcracker title on a blue snowy backdrop, smiling in costume.

Promotional photos by Joanne Salyer