Country of Origin United States
Description The Hard Nut is an adaptation of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker choreographed by Mark Morris. Taking inspiration from the comic artist Charles Burns, the dance is deeply instilled with archetypal concepts of guilt, childhood, adolescent sexuality, and poignant, nostalgic portrayals of post-war America. Morris turned to Adrianne Lobel to create sets that would take the tale of The Nutcracker out of the traditional German setting and into Burns’ graphic, black and white view of the world. With Lobel's immense sets and scrims, lighting designer James F. Ingalls created a dark world within retro 1960s suburbia and costume designer Martin Pakledinaz created costumes that helped bring to life Burns’ world, described as being "at the juncture of fiction and memory, of cheap thrills and horror." The last of 10 pieces Mark Morris created during his time as Director of Dance at the National Opera House of Belgium, to date the piece has been presented in the Next Wave Festival four times: 1992, 1993, 2002, and 2010.
Identifier 2002f.00749
