Favorite Pic of the Day for December 22nd

Above:

Nutcrackers by badsign769

-See More Nutcrackers below-

~Check out today's BIRTHDAYS HERE:~

March of the Toy Soldiers:

💂 Matti by Nolan Dean Photo 💂

Let's Get Crackin'

'It was such a tree and surrounded by the most tantalizing presents. But first, it was time for the games to begin and the Christmas dancing.'

Why do so many people love The Nutcracker, and why to they return, sometimes year after year?  There are many reasons, but tradition is at the core.  The Nutcracker actually goes back to the late 1890's as a two-act, classical ballet. Conceived by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the show is set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination. 

The plot is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' 1844 short story The Nutcracker which itself a retelling of E. T. A. Hoffmann's 1816 short story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.  So many people, most who never follow or have seen a ballet, have headed to the show every December.  It's Christmas Eve setting, colorful dancing, not to mention that incredible score, are so well known, even people who haven't seen the ballet, are familiar with the show and it's music. 

My memories go back to working in regional theatre as a kid.  Even before I saw the show, I remember working in theatres where the show was being readied for the holidays.   I remember hearing the music, seeing the costumes, and dancers rehearsing.  I've only seen the full production once, and then later the 1993 film version with Macaulay Culkin.

Evan Loudon

I think the show also helped awaken early sexual tingling's in many young boys watching as well.  Those toy soldiers, The Nutcracker Prince, and all those ballet bulges, live, and just in front of you on the stage, was an incredible sign for many.  That Sugar Plum, wasn't the only fairy floating around the auditorium, even if we didn't fully recognize it at the time.

Axie & his toy Soldier

I've been thinking of doing the theme for awhile now.  Almost every dancer I've featured over the years on FH, have listed the show on their resume. I hope you enjoy my tribute to the classic Christmas show and the many men who put on the mouse costume, the soldiers uniform and of course, slid on those white tights.  Check out more on Page 2 HERE: & Page 3 HERE:

Andrew Dubry

Some Day My Prince Will Come...

'The Christmas parties of long ago all blur and mix in memory. The real and the unreal become as one.'

The Principal male dancer in The Nutcracker is most often, The Cavalier. The term Cavalier in classical ballet term that refers to the male partner of a ballerina.  In The Nutcracker, the Cavalier is partnered with The Sugar Plum Fairy in one of the shows most memorable numbers.

Although the show is based on The Nutcracker Prince, I sort of always thought of The Cavalier as The Sugar Plum Fairies Prince.  In the version of the show I saw, the Nutcracker Prince was played for comedy, without much dancing, and the male lead dancer was clearly The Cavalier.   

When I was looking for images to represent the prince, I didn't have to look far.  Most FH are familiar with Kince, who I've featured many times on the site. (HERE:)  Although he's not currently shooting, after seeing this shoot, I had to reach out to Mike (AANE Photography) about using a few shots from the shoot.  Many might remember Mike, and his partner Thom, whose work I featured many times from 2015 through 2018. (HERE:)

Over the next few pages, you'll see many dancers who slipped on The Nutcracker's head, and the Cavalier's tights.  From some iconic dancers and performers, many have at one time or another posed or appeared nude.  That's doesn't even include the Nutcracker Prince porn star! 

Jett Black: The Princely Porn Star

' Silly child, how can you imagine that this wooden doll from Nuremberg is really alive and capable of moving about.'

If you're a fan of the male form, especially in adult films, the most famous form to slip on The Nutcracker prince costume was porn star Jett Black.   Jett, (aka Jeepe Hansen) played the role back in 2012, a year before the shit hit the fan....

May of you may remember the headlines when the then 22-year-ol Hansen, originally from Denmark, claimed he was fired from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet company due to his work in porn.  They had him sign a letter of resignation, stating he was voluntarily withdrawing from the organization, but the truth eventually came out.

'In a recent interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Hansen said that the company “told me ... they didn’t have any space for me because I did porn.” He has since moved to New York to pursue a full-time career in adult entertainment, according to the report.' 

'Jett Black loves to move his body and perform in front of other people, so you can see why making porn is no different to him.'

Talk to Me (With Kevin Warhol and Colby Keller)