Children’s entertainment company partners with the New York City Ballet to produce animated specials based on ‘George Balanchine¹s The Nutcracker.’
LOS ANGELES -- Nicolas Atlan and Mike Young, Co-CEOs of Splash Entertainment, have announced that the company will be stepping up its production activities with plans to develop, produce, and distribute Daisy and The Nutcracker, an educational live-action and 3D-animated specials, starring dancers from the world-renowned New York City Ballet and based on the Company’s acclaimed production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.
Daisy and The Nutcracker has been co-created by New York City Ballet and Mermaid Media, and written with Gabe Pulliam, whose credits include Olivia for Nick Jr. and Octonauts for Disney Channel and CBeebies.
“New York City Ballet is one of the foremost dance companies in the world. We are thrilled to be partnering with them to bring Daisy to life within the magical world of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” commented Atlan. “With many treasured stories to be told as a part of this classic ballet, we are confident that this could become an internationally recognized franchise.”
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker was created in 1954 by the legendary choreographer George Balanchine, the co-founder of New York City Ballet. NYCB’s beloved production has been performed in New York City every year since its premiere and is seen by more than 100,000 people annually.
"I'm thrilled to be a partner with the New York City Ballet and excited to be moving forward with Splash, a real powerhouse production partner, to bring this evergreen property to audiences around the world on new platforms and in new media,” added Ginger Brown of Mermaid Media.
Daisy & The Nutcracker specials are about Daisy, a high-spirited, irrepressible rag doll that wakes up one day to find herself in the middle of a magical production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. Although she knows nothing about the world of ballet, Daisy blithely plows headlong into every situation, just trying to find her place in the production and reach for her dream to be a ballerina.
The specials take place in the heart of snowy New York City where each holiday season New York City Ballet performs the Christmas classic at Lincoln Center. Our story begins when the performance ends and the backstage world of the theater, chock full of sets, costumes, and the legendary Christmas tree appears quiet and dark.
“For more than 60 years George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker has been enjoyed by countless audiences during our live performances in New York City. We are very excited to now partner with Splash Entertainment on this innovative new project which will provide children everywhere with a compelling new way to become acquainted with the world of ballet and the characters of this landmark production,” said New York City Ballet Executive Director Katherine Brown.
These entertaining and educational specials incorporate live-action elements into the animation featuring New York City Ballet’s dancers performing Balanchine’s landmark choreography. Daisy & The Nutcracker is conceived as three 45-minute holiday specials but could easily be repurposed as a 13x11’ series or new formats for new media.
Source: Splash Entertainment
