How do they do that? A look behind the scenes of The Nutcracker's special effects
BOSTON - Every holiday season, Boston Ballet brings the beloved story of "The Nutcracker" to life on stage.
But from the snow that falls on stage to the tree that grows to the ceiling, it takes a lot of planning and coordination to create this beautiful tradition.
The snow is made from flameproof paper confetti.
Production manager Ben Phillips says, "There are fabric bags on two of the theater system pipes. One end on one side of the bag has holes in it, and then as the system pipe comes in and out, it sifts the snow out of the holes in the bag and it falls."
Principal dancer Derek Dunn said the snow can create challenges for the company as the dancers try to avoid inhaling it or slipping on it.
This year, Dunn is dancing the roles of the Nutcracker Prince and the Snow King.
Often, he's on stage when the tree starts to grow.
Phillips explained, "The living room wall is made to look like the edge of a tree. So between the fabric moving up, and the wall moving off, it appears as though the tree is growing."
Both say the audience reactions make all of the hard work worth it.
Boston Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker" runs at the Citizen Bank Opera House through New Year's Eve.