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Help me come up with gifts for the Cast of Nutcracker


mommyoffive
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My kids have been in multiple Nutcrackers, and usually Nutcracker ornaments are distributed. Sometimes show posters signed by the company cast members too.

 

Are the company dancers from out-of-state? Maybe a gift/treat of some kind specific to your area.

 

Maybe flowers for the girls playing Clara.

Edited by GoodGrief
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When you say "huge" -- how many people is that? How much do you want to spend per gift?

 

I have found Hershey bars in a wrapper with a Nutcracker on the front in past years. Maybe $1 per bar at Target or the grocery store. Or get a Christmas tree shaped treat (assuming your Nutcracker has the traditional large tree in the party scene).

 

Even cheaper, you can get packages of candy canes and give each person a candy cane with a Christmas greeting attached with curly ribbon.

 

Do they really need to give to the entire cast? Our Nutcracker gifts have only been for others with the same role or in the same dance.

 

You may find something fun at a dollar store. Fuzzy socks, maybe? An ornament?

 

Our dance store has tiny pins (like the size of a button) for $1 each, with many different sayings and pictures on them.

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When you say "huge" -- how many people is that? How much do you want to spend per gift?

 

I have found Hershey bars in a wrapper with a Nutcracker on the front in past years. Maybe $1 per bar at Target or the grocery store. Or get a Christmas tree shaped treat (assuming your Nutcracker has the traditional large tree in the party scene).

 

Even cheaper, you can get packages of candy canes and give each person a candy cane with a Christmas greeting attached with curly ribbon.

 

Do they really need to give to the entire cast? Our Nutcracker gifts have only been for others with the same role or in the same dance.

 

You may find something fun at a dollar store. Fuzzy socks, maybe? An ornament?

 

Our dance store has tiny pins (like the size of a button) for $1 each, with many different sayings and pictures on them.

 

My dh is a party parent so all the other party kids and parents

 

son is nutcracker so I think he needs to do the Claras, Rats, Rat King and Soliders, and the company dancers

 

Dd is a solider

 

dd is a party girl and garden attendant so she needs to those

 

and the other dd is a pucci so she needs to do those

 

That is pretty much the whole cast

 

Then I think I need to do their teachers, director, maybe the orchestra? 

 

 

I am thinking of getting the younger kids something off Oriental Trading company

 

 

Each cast has about 150 dancers.  There are a few different casts.  

Edited by mommyoffive
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This is interesting to me because I did Nutcracker many years and then taught it to the kids when I was older, and beyond a bouquet of flowers to a select few no one ever got any gifts. We had to purchase our costumes and so we got to keep them and honestly for me and my friends getting those costumes was the best gift ever LOL.

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This is interesting to me because I did Nutcracker many years and then taught it to the kids when I was older, and beyond a bouquet of flowers to a select few no one ever got any gifts. We had to purchase our costumes and so we got to keep them and honestly for me and my friends getting those costumes was the best gift ever LOL.

 

We don't buy costumes.  

 

I thought we would do presents for some, but then yesterday and today everyone started giving out presents.   So I know it is a thing there. 

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I'm chuckling that the cast of our Nutcracker can't be more than 50! We live in a town, sounds like you are in a city.

 

Can you divide your recipients up a bit, like 12 "large" gifts (ornaments, tea, etc) and 225 "small" gifts (Hershey's kisses, carnations, etc)?

 

We live in a small town, but they are doing this in a city yes. 

 

Yep for sure doing some bigger gifts and smaller gifts. 

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We don't buy costumes.

 

I thought we would do presents for some, but then yesterday and today everyone started giving out presents. So I know it is a thing there.

I remember the costumes being expensive so not buying costumes but instead buying small gifts is likely more economical at least.

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This year for Sunday school teacher gifts my kids put together packets of mulling spices. Cinnamon stick, a few whole cloves and allspice balls, and a dried lemon slice. They ended up being very economical and their teachers really loved them.

 

I just did something similar for my ladies Sunday school class and I like it so much, I'm using it for teacher gifts, neighbor gifts and friend gifts. We have orange trees so we used a fresh orange, fresh cranberries, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and a small clipping from our Christmas tree. Added a candy cane to the curling ribbon I tied it with. I bought the spices from the bulk section of our health food store and it was pretty inexpensive. 

 

Here are a bunch of potpourri ideas on pinterest.

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My dh is a party parent so all the other party kids and parents

 

When my son was a party boy, he only got a gift from his "dad." Not from all of the other party guests.

 

son is nutcracker so I think he needs to do the Claras, Rats, Rat King and Soliders, and the company dancers

 

I don't see why he would need to give to all of the company dancers. I would think Clara and maybe the soldiers, because he is the head of the soldiers. In our Nutcracker, the mice might get gifts from the Mouse king but not the Nutcracker, because the mice/rats are his enemies :p .

 

Dd is a solider

 

dd is a party girl and garden attendant so she needs to those

 

and the other dd is a pucci so she needs to do those

 

That is pretty much the whole cast

 

Then I think I need to do their teachers, director, maybe the orchestra? 

 

Not the orchestra, surely. The teachers and director are at your discretion. Sometimes we gave the dance teachers gifts and sometimes not, but that was for regular classes. We didn't give them gifts for the Nutcracker specifically.

 

 

I am thinking of getting the younger kids something off Oriental Trading company

 

 

Each cast has about 150 dancers.  There are a few different casts.  

 

It sounds like either you are a gift giving person or this cast goes crazy with the gifts. Our Nutcracker gifts have been nominal. Sometimes nothing. Sometimes a candy. I think if you WANT to do this many gifts and can afford it, that you can certainly do so (but it would be a lot of work to get it all ready!). But in my experience, people are grateful for little gifts but do not expect them and don't notice if they don't get something.

 

Personally, I think your list is a little overwhelming. Does everyone really come home with bags of gifts that they received from tons of people? I'm not sure people really want that much candy or that many trinkets???? What if every child gives every teacher and every company member something? That would be a huge number of gifts for those in the leadership positions. I think you should be able to cut it back, unless you really don't want to.

 

If you really want to, go for it, of course!! I'm just saying that you shouldn't feel obligated to do that much.

 

 

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It sounds like either you are a gift giving person or this cast goes crazy with the gifts. Our Nutcracker gifts have been nominal. Sometimes nothing. Sometimes a candy. I think if you WANT to do this many gifts and can afford it, that you can certainly do so (but it would be a lot of work to get it all ready!). But in my experience, people are grateful for little gifts but do not expect them and don't notice if they don't get something.

 

Personally, I think your list is a little overwhelming. Does everyone really come home with bags of gifts that they received from tons of people? I'm not sure people really want that much candy or that many trinkets???? What if every child gives every teacher and every company member something? That would be a huge number of gifts for those in the leadership positions. I think you should be able to cut it back, unless you really don't want to.

 

If you really want to, go for it, of course!! I'm just saying that you shouldn't feel obligated to do that much.

 

 

 

I think they go with a lot of gifts.  

 

I was expecting something maybe next weekend, but they were handing out gifts already this weekend.   Yeah I don't want any of the trinkets or candy, but it seems as like this is what happens.  I don't want to be the scrooge. 

 

Maybe I could dump some people.  

We can afford it.

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Wow, the gifting really does seem over the top there! :laugh: Sounds like a good time, but nothing like we have experienced. As I said in the previous post, my kids have done many Nutcrackers with a professional cast. One daughter was the Clara one memorable year. But the only gifts were from the school that organized the younger dancers in the cast...ornaments and sometimes posters for all; there wasn't giving between cast members unless they were friends.

 

In the situation you describe, I would really keep it small unless you have serious funds to go toward this. Sounds like everyone is getting a ton of gifts anyway. A Nutcracker themed candy would probably be quite enjoyed by the kids!

Edited by GoodGrief
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I've never heard of giving gifts to the cast. Usually the family/friends who are attending the performance give the dancer a small gift or flowers. If you feel you must give gifts, I would do some kind of candy bar with a nutcracker wrapper, a small bag of candies tied with pretty ribbons, or something similar. 

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