The Nutcracker Suite - Children's Play

I attended voluntary choir in 5th grade and one of our projects that year was to perform a children's version of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. This version only kept the best known songs, but added lyrics to them. It also added several scenes of dialogue and easy to follow choreography for children to dance along with the songs. While I was unable to find the play in its entirety, I did find all of the lyrics from the play and some of the choreography. While this is no doubt useless to most people, it is a fond memory from my childhood, and I still remembered many of the lyrics to this day, even before I found it again thanks to the power of the Internet.

MARCH OF THE TOY SOLDIERS

Staccato-short Legato-smooth

Midnight in the house, the church bells chime
Midnight in the house, a magic time!
Listen, you will hear tiny feet draw near
The mouseketeers come into view!

Midnight in the house, the church bells chime,
Midnight in the house, a magic time
Soldiers fast asleep awaken with a leap!
Oh, here they come a marching two by two!

Forward march, and never fear! OH!
Forward march, the foe draws near! OH!

Midnight in the house, “To arms!” they cry,
Midnight in the house, “We’ll do or die!”
Mice and soldiers come to the beating of the drum,
A raging pandemonium!

Midnight in the house, “To arms!” they cry,
Midnight in the house, “We’ll do or die!”
The battle sound is all around!
Alas! A cheer for a tiny mouseketeer!

Forward march, don’t count the cost! OH!
Forward march, all is not lost! OH!

Midnight in the house, the siege is done,
Midnight in the house, the battle’s won!
When the Mouse King falls, we see the surest sign of victory!

Midnight in the house, the siege is done,
Midnight in the house, the battle’s won!
Off to sleep they go in the afterglow!
Tiny toys beneath the Christmas tree!

Choreography

Nutcracker and Mouse King have a sword fight (while soldiers get into line)
On “Ohs”: Swords up, swords down, swords up, swords down.
Nutcracker and Mouse King have a sword fight
On “Ohs”: Swords up, swords down, swords up, swords down.

Soldiers and Mice #1 and #2 sword fight each other.
Soldiers and Mice #3 and #4 sword fight each other.
Soldiers and Mice #5 and #6 sword fight each other.

Soldiers and Mice #7 and #8 sword fight each other.
Soldiers and Mice #9 and #10 sword fight each other.
Soldiers and Mice #11 and #12 sword fight each other.
Tiny mouse jumps and squeaks!

DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRIES

There’s a kingdom just beyond a star,
Not too far, You can go if you only dare.
In that kingdom you’ll find every sweet,
Tasty treat you can eat waiting for you there!

It’s a magic place, a lovely sight, pure delight!
If you go, you will want to stay!
If you dare now,
We’ll go there now,
Through the air now today!

It’s a magic place, a lovely sight, pure delight!
If you go, you will want to stay!
If you dare now,
We’ll go there now,
Through the air now today!

The trees are hung with candy canes, bright red, and white,
With choc’late streets and lic’rice lanes:
A lovely sight!
Blue berry sky, lemon sun,
Fields of lime where we can run! Oo!

There’s a kingdom just beyond a star,
Not too far, you can go if you only dare.
In that kingdom you’ll find every sweet,
Tasty treat you can eat waiting for you there!

Choreography

BOTH ROWS: Take 2 steps (toe 1st) forward in circle turn and rest on fourth beat
Take outside arm over head and do side bend
Both take 2 slow (toe 1st) steps in forward circle turn, and rest on fourth beat
Make slow turns in circles returning to original place, and rest.
On “today” - Point right toe out and arms out, ready to curtsey
And curtsey.

BOTH ROWS:
Right toe point - 2 times, Left foot point - 2 times
Left turn with arms up and freeze with right arm up, pointed up
On “If you dare now” - arms slowly down to U shape
Left arm up and freeze
All turn left with arms up and freeze with right arm up, pointed up.

Meet partner (front row meets back row) and touch right hands together.
Both take 3 slow (toe 1st) steps in forward circle turn, and rest on fourth beat
Take outside arm over head and do side bend
Both take 3 slow (toe 1st) steps in forward circle turn, and rest on fourth beat
Take outside arm over head and do side bend
Both take 3 slow (toe 1st) steps in forward circle turn, and rest on fourth beat
On “Ooooo” make slow turns in circles returning to original place, and rest.

Front row only: Hop to the right - 1 time - Hop right again - 1 time
Left turn and freeze with right arms up, pointed up
Back row only: Hop to the left - 1 time, Hop left again - 1 time
Front row meets back row with partner, touching right hands.

DANCE OF THE RUSSIAN BAKERS

We’ve got a Russian recipe!
All that a recipe should be!
It makes, it bakes sweet Russian tea cakes!

We’ve got a recipe so sweet!
It’s sure to knock you off your feet!
It’s baked at night with Russian candlelight!

First, get the oven hot!
If it’s not, then you may have a big surprise!
Then, butter, flour, and salt, sugar, too,
Fine chopped nuts, a cup will do;
A touch, a touch,
Some sweet vanilla adds so very much!

We’ve got a Russian recipe!
All that a recipe should be!
It’s right for every Russian appetite!

We’ve got a recipe SO GREAT!
We guarantee that it won’t wait!
A bite or two or three or four
Will make you beg and cry for more

Coda / Ending
A bite or two or three or four
Will make you SIGH and CRY and BEG for more! Hey!

Choreography

Russian Bakers run in from each side to meet in center - 1 long line facing audience. (pot with cake is in center)
Run in and kick up with arms crossed.

Slide steps out.
Slide steps in.
Kick out with arms crossed.
Elbow link partner, outside hand up, and turn a full circle.

Turn oven on with right hand.
Arms go up and out.
Center 2 people start large circle stepping around in circle, putting ingredients in pot as they go, thus there will be 2 large circles. Return back to original spot after completing circle.
On rests, shake salt and pepper, pretending to fill pot.
Rub stomach, hand going round and round.

Run in and kick up with arms crossed.

Slide steps out.
Slide steps in.
Kick out with arms crossed.
Elbow link partner, outside hand up, and turn a full circle.
Switch arms and elbow link partner, outside hand up, and turn a full circle other way.

Switch arms and elbow link partner, outside hand up, and turn a full circle other way.
Get in final positions for final pose, 1/3 standing around pot,
1/3 on knees around pot, and 1/3 sitting on bottoms. Meanwhile, one of the sitters gets cake from inside pot and brings it up for final “Hey”
On final “Hey”, cake comes up, and all arms up.

DANCE OF THE CANDY FLUTES

We are candy flutes as you can see
Bright and sweet as candy flutes should be
Red and white and yummy,
Tasty in my tummy!
Come! We’ll dance for you so deliciously!

Candy flutes are playing,
Toodle-loo-dle-ay-ing!

Transition / Bridge
Hear the merry tune we play,
We’ll pipe the day away!
Just hear us play,
Toodle-loo, toodle-ay!

Choreography

Place basket of “flutes: on side lines before music begins.
Flutes form one long line, facing audience.
In rhythm, stand on tip toes, and down, up and down.
Point thumbs to self (very large and deliberately). Bow.
Right hand points to red top, white bottom, then rub tummy round and round with hand.
Motion audience to come. During musical interlude, center two people begin marching forward and out, forming two circles out in order to pick up their “flutes”, waiting for them on the side lines in basket.

ARABIAN DANCE

Desert sands that spin and blow
Distant stars that gleam and glow;
Desert midnight; camels lie sleeping;
Silver moon shines bright.
Desert midnight; Silent sands keeping watch all through the night. Ooooooo.

CHINESE DANCE

Tea! Chinese tea!
What a fine blend!
We’ll brew! (We’ll brew!)
For you! (For you!)
Tea! Chinese tea!
It’s a new trend!
Long oooooo-ver due!

Chinese tea is a best tea!
Chinese tea is the guest tea!

Tea! Chinese tea!
Won’t you TRY some?
Just try! (Just try!)
You’ll sigh! (You’ll sigh!)
Tea! Chinese tea!
Won’t you BUY some?
It’s great! (It’s great!)
Just wait! (Just wait!)

Coda / Ending
The smell! (The smell!)
Is swell! (Is swell!)
One sip, (One sip,)
You’ll flip! (You’ll flip!)
Get in the know
Just say “Pekoe!”
Ah-so!

WALTZ OF THE FLOWERS

Flowers of every hue,
Red, yellow, pink, white, and light blue,
Beauty so bright, in the sunlight, Ah...
Fair flowers surround you.

Sweet perfume fills the air;
Sweet as the breath of the fair spring.
Pretty flow’rs sway
In a dainty way;
All the petals seem to say, “Let’s dance today!”

Ev’ry flow’r a dream come true!
Roses red as firelight;
Daisies gold and sun bright,
Violets of deep blue;
Every one a dream come true! Ah! Ah!

 

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