Carolina Ballet's 'Nutcracker' boasts live magic

"We're adding magic to the show, but it's not a magic show. Hopefully, we're making 'The Nutcracker' even more magical than it already is," Carolina Ballet Artistic Director Ricky Weiss said Friday. 

Weiss has directed the acclaimed ballet company since it landed in Raleigh 13 years ago. It was "The Nutcracker" that led him to this career.

"When I was 5 years old, my parents took me to 'Nutcracker.' The lights went down, the curtain went up, and I was transformed. My imagination soared, and it changed my life forever," Weiss said. 

Over the summer in Las Vegas, illusionist Rick Thomas trained "Nutcracker" ballet performers to pull off each magical feat, including levitation and shrinking children. Thomas said he jumped at the opportunity to craft real illusions within the show, although he knew it would be challenging.

"I had one dancer come up to me and say, 'I'm a dancer. I don't do tricks.' I said, 'Don't worry, it's not about the magic. You won't be doing tricks. We're going to make you look beautiful, and we value your art form,'" Thomas said.