Nutcracker by the Numbers: 12 Festive Facts about PNB’s Nutcracker Costumes

We’ve all heard about 5 golden rings and 10 lords a-leaping more than we’ve ever asked for or wanted. Today on the PNB blog, we’ve got 12 festive Nutcracker numbers that are much more interesting. Dive into the details of PNB’s costumes for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® with these 12 fascinating facts!

1. The Nutcracker is known for its whimsical cast of characters, and that requires quite a few costumes! 154 costumes are worn for each of PNB’s Nutcracker performances. Plus, the costume shop creates multiple versions of some costumes for different-sized dancers playing the same role.

2. Over 50 individuals constructed The Nutcracker costumes, including drapers, stitchers, milliners, dyers, and painters, and countless artisans have continuously maintained those costumes since The Nutcracker opened in 2015. 

3. Each stripe on Clara’s party dress and Drosselmeier’s coat lining was meticulously painted with 10 coats of red paint!

4. The Party Mothers’ hairpieces use 500 yards of tubular horsehair. Now that’s a holiday hairdo!

5. Nervous around needles? You might want to skip this fact! Sewing the Nutcracker doll required a 16-inch-long needle.

6. The Mouse King isn’t exactly handsome, but he does have at least one great smile! Eagle-eyed audience members can spot the King’s 1 golden tooth.

7. The Mouse King’s troupe consists of 17 mischievous mice; together, they have a total of 230 whiskers, and each mouse’s ear consists of 6 pieces.

8. Even snowflakes need to stay warm; each Snow skirt has 9 layers of various fabrics!

9. In the Land of the Sweets, each confection’s costume is deliciously detailed! The Costume Shop hand-sewed 300 jewels on Coffee’s crown, stitched 1,428 cabochons to the pointe dancers’ Hot Chocolate costumes, and hand-cut 4,000 holes to create the lace doily tutus and headpieces for the Marzipan costumes.

10. Mother Ginger’s fabulous skirt is 10 feet wide and weighs 60 pounds; that’s around the weight of an adult Husky!

11. There are 640 black pompoms on the eight playful Polichinelle costumes.

12. Even in the dead of winter, the Land of Sweets is blooming! The Waltz of the Flowers costumes are adorned with 760 petals.

PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® is an impressive feat of costume design. With each performance, McCaw Hall transforms into a spectacular winter wonderland. Ian Falconer and the rest of the creative team poured whimsy and cheer into every detail of the show, from the whiskers of the Mice to the jewels on Coffee’s crown. As you enjoy your next performance of The Nutcracker, take a moment to not only be awed by the dancers but also the artistry of the costumes, sets, and more!

Photo credits: Featured Image – Angelica Genersoa backstage, photo © Lindsay Thomas. PNB Company dancers and PNB School Students in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, photo © Angela Sterling. PNB School Student and Costume Shop members in 2015, photo © Lindsay Thomas. PNB School Student as Clara in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, photo © Angela Sterling. Costume Headpiece for PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, photo © Lindsay Thomas. The Nutcracker doll, photo © Angela Sterling. Luther DeMyer as the Mouse King, photo © Angela Sterling. PNB School Students in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, photo © Angela Sterling. PNB Company dancers in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, photo © Angela Sterling. Marzipan Headpieces for PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, photo © Lindsay Thomas. Peacock headpiece for PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, photo © Lindsay Thomas. Miles Pertl as Mother Ginger, photo © Angela Sterling. PNB School Students in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, photo © Angela Sterling. A costume in progress for PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, photo © Lindsay Thomas.