What goes into playing the bear in Boston Ballet's "The Nutcracker"
BOSTON - An instantly recognizable character in the Boston Ballet's holiday classic The Nutcracker only appears for a few minutes in the first act, but the bear is a real crowd pleaser. His origin story is uniquely Boston.
Over the month of performances, six different dancers portray the bear. Artist Wesley Miller is in his second year with the company and said he's thrilled to be donning the costume for the first time.
"I remember my first Nutcracker here last season," said Miller. "I was onstage watching the bear and I was thinking, hopefully at some point I can get to do that. I'm just super excited that I'm getting to do it this year."
"The Nutcracker" bear
While the bear looks furry and fuzzy from afar, he's actually made of tulle, the same material used to create the ballerinas' tutus.
"It's on a string that we have made with the machine," said Howard Merlin, the director of costumes. "It's sewn on a power meshed unitard. The fact that there's hundreds and hundreds of rows of this tulle sewn onto the power mesh makes it wider and fluffier and that's where you get the effect of it being a fur as opposed to net."
Second soloist and Somerville native Tyson Ali Clark has performed the bear since 2019. He said while the role can be a bit intimidating, "the bear costume is honestly light. It's like a very big onesie."
Dancing in a mask
Even so, dancing the bear can prove to be a challenge.
"It's an entire mask. Imagine like a mascot," said Clark. "You have tons of holes you're seeing and there are stage lights. So it does get a little claustrophobic but you're able to find a way, use your senses and get it done."
Each dancer gets to put their own stamp on the bear's personality.
"I learned it in a week and then we've been refining it," said Miller. "Like, interacting with the other people onstage, trying to convey bear-like movements."
"The Nutcracker" bear's beginnings
While not every Nutcracker features a big dancing bear, this one has been part of the Boston Ballet for years.
"It dates back from the Filene's bear; that's where it originally started," said Merlin. "I think Filene's was a sponsor at the time and they wanted something that represented Filene's and they made a bear."
The bear gets a huge ovation every night and the dancers in the costume know it's a highlight for the audience.
Boston Ballet's production of The Nutcracker runs through Dec. 29 at the Citizen's Opera House in Boston.