8 Missed Steps
After receiving degrees in both ballet and finance from the University of Utah, Ed Farley, who later became Ballet West’s Director of Education and Outreach, came to Ballet West and rose to the rank of Soloist under Artistic Director Bruce Marks.
Ed, a bit mischievous, documented some of his favorite flops, fiascoes, and full-fledged failures in The Nutcracker during his time dancing in it, which we have dutifully listed.
8 Missed Steps
After receiving degrees in both ballet and finance from the University of Utah, Ed Farley, who later became Ballet West’s Director of Education and Outreach, came to Ballet West and rose to the rank of Soloist under Artistic Director Bruce Marks.
Ed, a bit mischievous, documented some of his favorite flops, fiascoes, and full-fledged failures in The Nutcracker during his time dancing in it, which we have dutifully listed.
1.
There was the poor mouse whose head fell off, and because the costumes were so bulky and big, you could not bend over, so he just kicked it off stage! I have never laughed so hard.
2.
Famed conductor Ardean Watts was conducting one night when Fritz broke the nutcracker doll and the head went hurtling towards the audience. Ardean, cat-like, grabbed the head in midair, not missing a single beat of conducting.
3.
Goofing around, we tossed a stuffed mouse helmet from the wings when the cannon went off, scaring the little kids. We were scolded for that one!
4.
Mary Ann (Lind) Battle was dancing the lead Arabian part when her pants fell down. Of course, she had tights on, but the audience got more than they bargained for!
5.
This one is on me. The artistic staff had updated dancer casting a half-hour before a performance and, as I thought I had been ‘released,’ there was no Mouse King!
6.
Many tricks can happen in the party scene the audience doesn’t even notice. For instance, dancers would black out a tooth, hoping to break another dancer’s character. Or, we would put Vaseline in our hand and shake Herr Stahlbaum’s hand with it!
7.
This one happened more than once. The apparatus of Mother Buffoon’s dress was heavy and complicated. You would be staring out this little window in the dress, making sure the papier-mâché head stayed in the right direction, and all while not stepping on a little buffoon! Well, a few times the entire structure and dress would fall over, revealing all the kids underneath. Not fun.
8.
And finally, there was the iciest performance of all time, when so much dry ice fog made the stage extra slippery. I think five dancers decked it as they were running in the large circle in the snow scene.
Out of all the ‘fails,’ there was one big ‘win’ for Ed. He met Gayle Farley, who danced at Ballet West for eight years. The two have now been married for more than 40 years.
