(lively music) - Ballet West is celebrating 80 years of America's first Nutcracker, started by founder Willam Christensen.

Bruce Caldwell is our guest today, and he's here with more about this historic and beloved version of The Nutcracker.

Hi Bruce, thanks for being here.

- Oh, it's a pleasure, Mary.

- I remember seeing you dance in this.

- I danced my first role, 1961, as the nephew, and I've been with Ballet West ever since.

- I know.

And now, here this is, I can't believe it's been, I mean, it's celebrating the 80th year.

- Yes.

Yes, Willam Christensen first did The Nutcracker in America, the very first full-length performance, in 1944, in San Francisco.

And then when he created the University of Utah Department of Ballet, he brought it here as well.

- I remember seeing it there.

Not 80 years ago, of course.

- Kingsbury Hall.

- Yes.

Yes.

Yeah.

And you've become, what's it called, a living historic landmark.

The ballet is a living historic landmark.

- Yes, that's what the legislature last year passed a bill naming it as a living historic monument, which I think is fabulous.

And we do the same version that Mr. C did back in 1944.

So it is 80 years.

Little perks and set changes, things like that, but it has its basic intent the same.

- Yeah.

That's amazing.

And I know you've gone to Kennedy Center with it.

You've done so much with that ballet.

- Yes.

It's been, well, it's almost the backbone of Ballet West, it pays the bills.

You know, we are able to tour it, like you mentioned, and it brings in good houses.

People get introduced to ballet, they come see our other seasons because they've seen The Nutcracker.

So it's our foot in the door that way.

- Yeah.

So you're doing anything different with it this year?

- Well, no.

We think we have a winner and we're going to stay with it.

But we have forecast of children.

They're all excited from all over the valley.

We don't just limit it to our school, but we open up the audition.

So everyone in the valley.

And, you know, we have people from Wyoming and Idaho that come and audition, they want to be in it.

And so, it's all about the children, the wonderful story, and they get to dance and, yeah.

- Yeah.

Anyway, well, thank you so much for being here, part of this living legacy thing.

- It's my pleasure, yes.

- And if you'd like to know more about The Nutcracker, it will be December 6th through 28th at the Capital Theater.

Go to balletwest.org.

I'm Mary Dickson, thanks for watching Contact.

(lively music)