Yesterday
Judith Pugh was the second Clara that Mr. C cast in Utah, in 1961. “The casting process was pretty informal back then. One day, I was taking ballet class from Mr. C and he gathered us on the floor around him to announce roles. He would then tell the story of your character, giving you some background of the role, and it could be very detailed. When we got to rehearsals, he would pantomime every character. I can still remember him smiling—he was quite easygoing.” Judith says she is still surprised at how similar the choreography is to those early days: “When I see it today, I feel like I could be on stage with them—I remember it that well!” And perhaps she could. Judy, at 78, loves to hike and still takes ballet class once a week!
– Heather Thackeray as Clara and Jeff Rogers as the Nutcracker Prince, 1987.
Today
Heather Thackeray has been integral to The Nutcracker for 35 years. She started as a buffoon under the skirt of Peter Christie, but says her brightest moment was being cast as Clara. “I was deliriously happy, I was overjoyed. The most magical part was being Clara on Christmas Eve. I knew it was a special moment. My whole family was in the audience—brother, cousins… everyone came to see me. I cried when it was over.”
In high school, Heather continued to dance in The Nutcracker and at the age of just 15, Artistic Director John Hart gave her a contract with Ballet West after seeing her as a Page. “I was freaking out. Here I was, not even out of high school, and I was already earning a pay check doing what I had dreamed of as a little girl.”
Later, when Heather worked as Ballet West’s Student Ballet Master, she taught the next generation those same steps and said, “It is important to me that each child has a magical experience, that they walk away falling in love with being a performer. I want it to be a joyful experience, but for them to also learn life skills.”
– Former Student Ballet Master Heather Thackeray teaches steps for children in Nutcracker performances.
Tomorrow
“I remember Children’s Ballet Master Bené Arnold backstage lining us up to duck into the Mother Buffoon skirt,” recalls Former Soloist Chelsea Keefer. “She would spray us with a bit of her perfume every single time. She said it was good luck. She had to do it in secret though because Properties Master Cory Thorell is allergic to perfume!” A few years later, Chelsea auditioned for the role of Clara. “At the end, the judges called me into a corner, but when my name was called for Clara, I started to cry! I was on marketing materials and my face was all over buses and commercials. People would come up to me and ask for a picture—I was famous!”
– Chelsea Keefer as Clara.
