Citizens Bank Opera House, Boston, MA.
December 18th, 2022, 1:30 PM
Holiday traditions: vibrant lights downtown, going to get a Christmas tree with the household and The Nutcracker. Yes, certainly, some individuals adore it sufficient to see it yearly – making it a household (or solo) custom. One may fairly surprise why individuals would wish to see the identical present yr after yr (a minimum of one thing just about the identical, with tweaks right here and there). Yet, that really might be a part of the enchantment; we will discover consolation and internal heat from the acquainted.
Moreover, whereas particular person ballet corporations do make sure adjustments to their Nutcracker from yr to yr, additionally they construct Nutcrackers which might be uniquely theirs. Boston Ballet definitely has its personal “brand” of the vacation staple: with loads of humor, coronary heart and measured, intentional opulence. I’ve skilled this program many occasions through the years. Rather than feeling bored with it, every time it’s comforting to come back again to one thing merely nice – one thing that I can anticipate to be that. With the world as it’s, and with what we’ve all simply been by means of, that might be extra worthwhile now than ever.
I felt that distinctive Nutcracker pleasure effervescent up because the overture rose. The opening was comfortable and refined, with characters step by step coming into and greeting one another. Boston Ballet’s iconic Drosselmeier toyshop set piece stuffed the background as this theatrical motion rose. Children gathered round to expertise a few of the toymaker’s magic. In a comic book and candy flip, they adopted his actions in call-and-response. That led into friends gathering on the Silberhaus’ dwelling (Clara’s household in Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker), with that very same gradual motion – setting a basis of versimilltude early on in this system.
The younger girls and boys on the Silberhaus’ vacation get together have been subtle and dapper, mild and chic of their motion. At the identical time, additional theatrical motion with these kids felt absolutely human and sincere; they may costume up and look fancy, however they have been nonetheless simply younger individuals very a lot nonetheless studying and rising.
The mother and father’ dance was as beautiful and memorable as all the time. The swish sails of the womens’ skirts as they flip in arabesque (leg prolonged again behind them), supported by their companions, is all the time a picture that I keep in mind and treasure from Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker. Drosselmeier (John Lam) infused his motion with a mysteriously serpentine high quality, one which started to successfully construct the character. Clara (Celeste Cisneros) danced with beautiful traces and raise, making the motion ripple by means of her in a method that felt subtle and mature for her (seemingly younger) age.
Harlequin (Sun Woo Lee) danced the doll’s mechanical high quality expansively, in a method that labored fairly effectively for the character. Ballerina Doll (Ao Wang) bought the robotic double-bounce excellent as effectively. The Nutcracker Bear is one other distinctive Boston Ballet Nutcracker staple, one which the viewers evidently ate proper up: clapping and “oooh, aaah”-ing earlier than he even took a step. Henry Griffin’s leaps have been spectacular, given the bulkiness and (possible heavy) weight of the costume. The viewers saved loving it an increasing number of. In one other candy and humorous theatrical contact, it felt just like the Nutcracker Bear didn’t wish to go away the stage – waving to the gang and looking out dejected as Drosselmeier led him away.
Other distinctive Boston Ballet staples made me smile as effectively: the lengthy tug-of-war traces, girls and boys tugging in opposition to one another; the candy ladies’ dance with their new dolls; the classically elegant mother and father’ waltz (however additionally with moments of humor and genuine characterization). The lights got here down (lighting design by Mikki Kunttu), and the subsequent comedian, light-hearted moments have been the mice coming into the darkish front room, get together friends lengthy departed; viewers members chuckled as they froze as they bought caught within the lights. Drosselmeier was pulling magic strings to highlight them.
Indeed, Drosselmeier was current and influential, additionally comforting Clara after the battle between the mice and troopers. The Easter Bunny and Gingerbread Man (college students of the Boston Ballet School) are different humorous Boston Ballet touches to the Battle Scene, characters that seem annually. They’re an efficient method of diffusing the stress and decreasing the chance of youthful patrons feeling overly fearful – to not point out bringing some extra laughs for all attending (worthwhile in and of itself!).
Then the magic actually sprung forth, with the quintessential Boston Ballet Nutcracker Christmas tree rising (set design by Robert Perdziola) – and the majestic Nutcracker Prince (Sangmin Lee) rising earlier than it. The victory over the Rat King and his mousey troopers led proper into the bonafide winter wonderland of Snow Scene. The Snow Pas De Deux exhibited essentially the most opulent finery (costume design additionally by Perdziola) and partnering of essentially the most refined magnificence (with out feeling “stuffy” or inaccessible, which is usually a positive line to stroll).
The bigger variation, coming quickly after that pas de deux, was simply as dynamic and thrilling as ever. I’m all the time captivated by how pure and easeful it feels, particularly contemplating how briskly and difficult the choreography is: a real exhibit A of that type of virtuosity, one which’s all the time on provide from Boston Ballet’s Snow Scene.
That was much more spectacular when contemplating how the artificial snow blanketed the stage by the top, which might change into fairly slippery with pointe sneakers (one would think about). All in all, with the pristine white aesthetic and such stunning dancing, a magical, ethereal world of its personal emerged – like how a snowy panorama will get an increasing number of stunning because the snow sticks. Clara regarded on in astonished surprise, and we within the viewers might be a part of her in that.
The opening of Act II introduced us the Sugarplum Fairy and her attendants, in an environment feeling like a candy ballerina music field. Seo Hye Han as Sugarplum Fairy danced with a stately, elegant high quality: comfortable in a method that evinced an understanding that the motion and presence she supplied was sufficient (no have to push a factor). Moving into the variations of the Sweets, Spanish Chocolate was filled with vibrant character. Their expansive motion, coming along with a fiery crimson colour scheme, leapt proper off the stage.
As is most frequently (if not all the time) the case with Boston Ballet’s Arabian Coffee, the variation was silky, sultry, and filled with flexibility feats. Louise Hautefeuille and Seokjoo Kim partnered inside their roles in a method that felt empowering to the feminine character right here; she was supported, however might additionally assist herself a lot, and likewise referred to as the photographs when it got here to that assist. In Chinese Tea, one dancer held a vibrant crimson streamer – permitting for a lot of potentialities in form, timing and vitality within the house. That splendidly complimented the duet pair’s (Michaela DePrince and Matthew Bates) effervescent turns and zippy small jumps, greater than (now feeling outdated) chopstick fingers ever might.
French Marzipan, as standard with Boston Ballet, was pastoral, mild and candy. Highly classical, the motion was stately but not stale. Bo-Beep and her sheep (college students of Boston Ballet School) added one thing sincere and human to the classical virtuosity of the primary trio (Graham Johns, Lauren Herfindahl and Addie Tapp). Next, to the gang’s delight, got here Mother Ginger’s grand re-entrance after two years absent from the Boston Opera House stage (as a consequence of COVID issues). That felt like returning to treasured traditions, for certain, and maybe even an indication of us having settled into some type of “new normal.”
Clara and Drosselmeier dancing (and the latter with Mother Ginger, comically navigating her gargantuan skirt), combined in a teaspoon extra of that candy humanness and authenticity – amidst all the grandeur – that’s very attribute of Nissinen’s Nutcracker. Trepak introduced us high-flying energy in spades, from three danseurs (Tyson Ali Clark with Alec Roberts and Sun Woo Lee) – not on the expense of refinement and ease, nonetheless.
That closed out the nation variations, and the Flowers took the stage: dancing extremely multi-directional, dynamic motion with the softness of gently wilting flower petals. Dew Drop (Lia Cirio) danced with the understated satisfaction of a fantastic flower spreading its attractive petals, however frivolously curving with the wind. The skirts of Boston Ballet’s Flowers costume all the time to me resemble layers of delicate petals – and is one thing else that I all the time keep in mind, and stay up for, about this manufacturing.
Lam and Han labored collectively as one breath, one physique within the Coda pas de deux – then introduced their very own characterization and elegance to their solo sections. Lam, for his half, danced with engaging dimension, energy, and ballon (raise and lightness). At the story’s climax (arguably), the entire Kingdom of the Sweets danced with Clara and Drosselmeier. It’s all the time a grand, charming second that Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker presents: with a big forged, opulent design, and lovely motion.
Signature Nissinen Nutcracker was additionally the ending, with Clara sleeping peacefully on the sofa and characters of her journey operating by behind her. Then she awoke, and – as we might see in her face – puzzled if all the magic was only a dream. Yet she reached as much as contact the crown on her head, the crown from the Sugarplum Fairy. Surely, it will need to have been actual!
Believing, suspending one’s disbelief, or nonetheless any given viewers member may obtain this second together with Clara, the magic of this system was plain. Perhaps we will all savor the vacation magic a bit extra, nonetheless or wherever we discover ourselves on the time, if we will permit it simply as Clara has. Coming again to comforting, acquainted traditions like Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker can’t damage there. In an unsure, typically scary world, we a minimum of have that.
By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.
