Backstage Pass: Ballet Ireland

Ballet Ireland have returned to the Gaiety Theatre for a festive run of Nutcracker Sweeties, a reimagined working of the Tchaikovsky masterpiece. We caught up with dancer Massimo Margaria for a behind the scenes chat just before opening night.

What’s your role of the show?

In the show, I have a few roles. We don’t have just one role, for example at the start I am the shop assistant, then I become a rat, then we have the snow scenes, the flower scenes and finally the Russian.

What’s your favorite aspect of the show?

My favorite aspect of the show is the fact that the choreographer decided to make this show set in a shop, so it differs from the original Nutcracker. What is good about it is, in the moment the shop is closed, everything comes alive so it’s just magical.

You’ve been dancing since you were 12. What first drew you to ballet?

So I started to dance when I was 12, but before I was doing completely different things. I was skiing, I was swimming and I was doing motocross. So what pushed me to become a professional dancer, is that I was seeing people dancing break dance, so I decided to push myself before doing break dance. In an intensive stage, I started to try to do classical ballet, and I started to love it. So at 14 years old, I moved to Turin to a big academy to start my journey.

What has your experience been like working with Ballet Ireland?

I started to work with this company in 2021 after COVID. Work with this company is really, really nice because the mood, it’s really positive, and the colleagues are really funny. I would like to stay in this company for many years.

Can you give us any insight into the rehearsal process?

The process actually was really intense, but like I said, the mood in this company is really positive, and we have so much fun between us. So in some ways, it’s kind of light.
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How do you prepare before a performance?

So before the performance, I’m not like a usual dancer, so I decide to warm up a little bit just 15 minutes before the show and and then push myself on stage, and you know, like whatever happens, happens. I don’t have any rituals.

Can you pick out a moment in the show that you think audiences will particularly love?

I think the audience will love the snow scenes because they’re really classical scenes and it’s just a magical thing with snow on the stage.

What makes the ballet such perfect Christmas entertainment?

I think if you go with your family to the theatre to watch, in this case, a Christmas ballet, it’s really magical for all the family, because you have the opportunity for at least two hours to forget all your problems and enjoy the moment.

Can you sum up the show in three words?

I would say spectacular, magical and fun!

You can catch Massimo when he performs in Ballet Ireland presents Nutcracker Sweeties, running the Gaiety Theatre until Saturday 16 November 2024. Find tickets here.