By Mandy Fang | Special to the NB Indy
One of many holiday traditions, “The Nutcracker” is back at Segerstrom Center through December 21 as the incomparable American Ballet Theatre (ABT) celebrates its 10th anniversary season with its wittingly comical “Nutcracker” featuring untraditional twists.
Who else illustriously paints the century-old story with Arabian Coffee women competing for the attention of an undeserving bachelor? What about an infestation of spectacular bees during the Waltz of the Flowers? Or dancing snowflakes as spunky as they are sparkly?
Bridging the west and east coast, ABT involves their main company (including principal dancers Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside on opening night), their Studio Company (ABT’s junior company), and young students from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York as well as ABT William J. Gillespie School here in Orange County.
On opening night, Boylston and Whiteside danced the roles of Princess Clara and the Nutcracker Prince. This iconic duo started the company’s 10-day run off strong. Other principal dancers including Skylar Brandt, Herman Cornejo, Christine Shevchenko, and others will grace the stage this season as well.
ABT’s rendition of “The Nutcracker” was brilliantly put together by former artist in residence Alexei Ratmansky. Vivacious storytelling differentiates this version from others; in this version, the audience gets a foreshadowing of what’s to come with the greedy mice taking over the kitchen in the opening scene.
The Stalbaum’s holiday party is embellished with thoughtful and clever details from the grandparents’ sloppy yet impressive dancing to Drosselmeyer’s life-sized dolls that not only dance but fight pesky rodents past midnight.
After braving a ferocious battle followed by a daunting snowstorm, Clara gets a glimpse into her future self with the Nutcracker Prince. From the blitz of the snowstorm to the swooning of the quintessential pas de deux between Princess Clara and her Nutcracker Prince. The quirky nuances specific to Ratmansky’s version are sure to put ballet experts and amateurs alike in a festive mood.
All the dancers, from aspiring to professional, left me wanting an invitation to the Land of Sweets. May we all dream sweet dreams as delightful as the Sugar Plum Fairy herself. I only hope the mischievous mice don’t make it to ransack my kitchen!
Thank you to ABT’s dancers and the Pacific Symphony musicians who performed Tchaikovsky’s beautiful score for bringing holiday cheer to Segerstrom enter.
Visit www.SCFTA.org for tickets.
