Ballet Jörgen’s stolen Nutcracker sets recovered before Ontario performance

Last month, at the start of its annual 'Nutcracker' tour, the five-ton truck carrying Ballet Jörgen's custom-made scenery vanished overnight from a suburban Toronto parking lot while the company rehearsed at its basement studio. Police recovered the truck 16 hours after it was reported stolen and said the investigation remains active; the sets were intact.

The theft threatened a nearly sold-out show in Burlington the following night and left the small nonprofit facing a bare stage. Within hours, ballet companies across Canada offered help: the Alberta Ballet volunteered to ship its recently retired 'Nutcracker' set to Ontario, dance schools opened storage facilities, and local fans helped build a prop sleigh.

In the end the company did not have to borrow from others. The episode has underscored Ballet Jörgen's long-standing mission of bringing ballet to remote and underserviced communities. The company, which travels light with recorded music and 21 dancers performing each show, has performed in places such as Kitimat, Flin Flon and Glace Bay and has even staged productions in a high school gymnasium in La Ronge.

Its holiday production, officially titled 'The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition,' is set in Northern Ontario and incorporates Canadiana and local children recruited and coached on short notice. Bengt Jörgen, the company's artistic director, said the outpouring of support made him realize they must keep going.

Key Topics

Culture, Ballet Jörgen, Nutcracker, Bengt Jörgen, Alberta Ballet, Burlington