DANCE THEATRE NORTHWEST PRESENTS "THE NUTCRACKER" DECEMBER 13-14

We all have our own beloved traditions during the Christmas season, and one of mine is seeing the dancers from Dance Theatre Northwest bring Peter Tchaikovsky's beautiful ballet "The Nutcracker" to life on the stage, once again. This year's performances take place on Saturday, Dec. 13, at  2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., as well as on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4 p.m. in the Mount Tahoma High School Auditorium, 4634 South 74th Street, Tacoma, WA 98409. 

Unlike some other Puget Sound area productions of "The Nutcracker," Dance Theatre Northwest's is quickly and easily reached from Interstate 5, has plenty of FREE on-site parking, and easy wheelchair accessibility. Those might be good reasons to choose it, but the main reason is the quality of the dancing, not to mention the gorgeous costumes and scenery. It will put you in a festive mood, for sure.

"I am very excited about the weekend," Kirk-Stauffer said in an email. "The dancers are so well-prepared. The show has a few surprises, some new things, and a lot of beautiful scenes with classical ballet. We are fortunate enough to be able to rotate the cast so that each performance will be a little different."  

They might each be a little different, but I promise you that they will be equally impressive and memorable. Like family heirloom ornaments, or photos from Christmases past, these performances feel more precious to me every year. That is because I have watched so many young dancers grow and mature under the guidance of Artist Director Melanie Kirk-Stauffer and her Associate Artistic Director and DTN company member, Vadne Domeika. You can read about both of these amazing women and other members of the company here.  

"It feels great to be able to give so many opportunities to so many talented, hard-working young performers," Kirk-Stauffer said. 

Wouldn't it feel great to you to be part of this audience? You can be sure of reserving a seat if you buy tickets in advance through this online box office. Ticket prices for seniors, students, and children are $11-$13, and adult tickets $22-$26. DTNW offers discounts for groups and members of the military. At any price, you will find it worth every cent and then some. Don't miss it!

Questions? Just call Dance Theatre Northwest at (253) 778-6534 or check their website: http://DTNW.org 

Photos by Max Zakarhov

Danish Ghosts of Christmas Past

If you had looked through a window of our Tacoma home on Christmas day, it might have appeared that only three of us sat down for the holiday dinner this year, but appearances can deceive. Along with the company of my husband and his sister, I could feel the presence of some unseen, most welcome, delightful—and delighted—guests: the ghosts of our Danish ancestors.

In fact, we had invited them with thoughts and family legends. Or perhaps the powerful allure of pickled herring, lingonberries, and other Danish delights drew them forth. In any case, I hope they show up again next year.

This Christmas my husband and I decided to introduce a new dinner menu into the sweet nostalgia of our typical American baby boomer traditions and memories. We did so to honor our shared Danish heritage and his Danish mother. She died this past September, well into her nineties and far too frail to navigate all the stairs in our home to enjoy a traditional dinner that might have been served in the Old Country. But I am quite sure she easily found her place in the empty chair to witness our feast in spirit.
                                                

The appetizers included pickled herring, excellent blue cheese, and the best salami I’ve ever had, all from Denmark of course, purchased by my sister-in-law at Scandinavian Specialties in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. We served these delicacies with amazing, flaky but non-crumbling 27-layer rye crackers from the island of Bornholm. It is part of Denmark but closer to Sweden. Members of my husband's family lived there for years, operating a watch shop, and the relatives we correspond with still keep a summer home on the island, about two hours from Copenhagen by boat.

For the main course, we served pork loin with its center pierced lengthwise and then stuffed with prunes and pieces of apple, alternating. The stuffed meat was browned in a heavy pan in hot butter and oil, then oven braised in white wine and cream, the latter being reduced and thickened for the gravy, with a bit of black current jam added in place of red current jelly we didn’t have.

We  served it with a relish of lingonberries and a side of boiled baby red potatoes tossed with real Danish butter (oh my!) and fresh parsley. Some of that same creamy butter melted over a bowl of ruby red beets to mingle with fresh grated ginger root. A traditional cucumber salad added a crisp and refreshing contrast to the richness of the meal. Before being seasoned with dill and served with tiny shrimp, the sliced cucumbers had been chilled in a vinegar and sugar brine for 24 hrs.

Dessert, (not shown) simply had to be the traditional rice pudding. I cooked the rice in milk and a little sugar, instead of water, and then stirred in vanilla, slivered almonds, and quite a lot of sherry, before folding in plenty of whipped heavy cream. Served in my grandparent’s ruby glass dishes (a gift from their 1912 wedding) it looked especially festive with raspberry sauce topping each portion.

Among the cookies on the platter, only the spritz were of a typical Scandinavian type, but Danes know how to keep an open mind. We had no aquavit on hand, but the refrigerator did hold some Danish Elephant brand beer we forgot to drink, probably because we felt overwhelmed by all that food before us, food we seemed genetically programmed to enjoy.

And one of the nicest aspects of the whole thing was that each person’s meal came in at slightly under 50,000 calories! Imagine that.

My Danish  great-grandfather worked hard as a blacksmith, walked long distances well into old age and I'm sure he had a good relationship with bacon, butter, and cream. He lived to be 97.  I don't want to push my luck, but I do share the pleasure he found in life, and in real Danish butter.

As the old year ends and the new year begins in this world filled with war, pollution, toxic chemicals, and other things to fear, remember to not let fear rule your life. Do the best you can toward bringing about a better tomorrow, against all odds. That's what our ancestors did when they bravely crossed the sea and faced many difficulties and dangers to have a new life in America, just like others still do today. No matter where your own ancestors came from, honor them and try to live with the same degree of courage, imagination, gratitude, and joy.

Next year, invite the ghosts of Christmas past into your hearts and homes. And thank them. They left you much more than some family recipes. They left you the example of their strong character. They left you a proud heritage and a country that values equality, mutual respect, and the idea that many different cultures have contributed to the America we all share. At least I hope it still does.

Pompoms, toothpicks, glue and memories

For maybe five minutes, I considered having no Christmas tree this year. Then I remembered the googly-eyed mouse and the shiny green thing. How could I ever have thought of leaving them carefully packed away when they've held places of honor on the tree for over 30 years, since my sons made them in grade school? I'm ashamed of myself.

I know plenty of people who don't bother with a tree. My sister in her condo, my cousin with all her cats, and others in our situation, knowing it will be a Christmas with no adult children or grandchildren around, don't bother. What's the point anyway? We're adults and Christmas is for kids. Isn't it?

Yes, it's for kids, and how well I remember. I remember the small hands reaching up into the fir boughs to hang these ornaments for the first time all those years ago, the giggles and excitement, the packages under the tree, and the cookies for Santa. I remember the indescribable love and tenderness I felt, seeing the soft nape of child's neck, the sparkle in their eyes, and holding them in my arms. My babies have grown up but I will hold them close in my memories and heart forever.

Now things have changed. Even my sons' ornaments, in spite my careful handling and storage, show their age. The googly-eyed mouse, with a paper cone hat, yarn tail and walnut shell nest, wasn't always this way. In the beginning his little pompom face clearly showed two black bead eyes and a nose. But then one of the beads fell off and now nobody can be sure which of the three features is missing. Does he have two eyes and no nose or one of each?

The shiny green thing, an original creation by my younger son, is a testament to the lasting power of Elmer's glue. Made of two layers of foil paper on a kite-like framework of toothpicks, delicate as a dragonfly wing, it still survives even though the edges have worn a bit. I keep it in a small box with cotton padding, like the treasured jewel it is. In addition to these, the collection includes an ice cream cone of construction paper and pompoms, a big one for the scoop of ice cream and a small, now drooping one, for the cherry on top. There's also a teddy bear holding a candy cane.

We'll probably have a quiet Christmas here in Tacoma. But no matter what, the googly-eyed mouse and the shiny green thing hang on my tree, and I promise to never, ever again even think of not having them there. When I hung them up this December, with my secret guilt, a tear in my eye, and love in my heart, I knew the truth. I need to see them each year, and I always will, because these are Christmas to me.