As decorations spring up and tunes hit the radio, every year I am taken by surprise when preparation for Christmas begins in November. Only one event consistently seems to put me in the correct holiday mindset. As I do every year, I attended Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker ballet, Nov. 29.
Artistic directors Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda of the Sacramento Ballet choreographed this production, a collaboration of the Sacramento Ballet and the Fresno Dance Theater. A group of dancers, both local and from out of town, made up the show’s cast.
In the classic tale, the young girl Clara Stahlbaum (Courtney Lowe) enjoys her family’s large Christmas party, especially the presence of her uncle, Dr. Drosselmeyer (Nolan T’Sani and Cunningham). After the evening of entertainment and dance, the guests leave and Clara is left alone with a gift from Drosselmeyer, her beloved nutcracker doll.
When she falls asleep, the girl is visited in her dream by mice, and a battle between the mice and toy soldiers, led by the Nutcracker (Robert Cisneros and John Whisler) who Drosselmeyer has magically brought to life. The Nutcracker comes out of the war victoriously killing the Mouse King (Michael Vester), then takes Clara into the snow and The Kingdom of Sweets, where she is entertained with dances by various sweets.
The concluding “Grand Pas de Deux” is then performed by the Sugar Plum Fairy (Amanda Peet and Nikki Trerise) and Her Cavalier (Stefan Calka, Richard Porter and Timothy Coleman).
Throughout the show I was impressed by the precise timing of movements. The snowflake and flower corps appeared accurately on beat with graceful arms flowing together and synchronized leaps. The organization looked very professional onstage as every aspect of technique was exact rather than sloppy and messy.
The “Grand Pas de Deux” by Peet and Coleman was executed with confidence. Peet displayed beautifully stable prolonged pirouettes and turns, as I appreciated as a former ballet dancer. Combined with Coleman’s agile leaps, the two created an enjoyable pair to watch.
I enjoyed the chance to trust their talent without worrying about slip-ups. They recovered well from an almost-accident when the timing was a split-second off and the two missed their opportunity for a lift. Instead, they remained on the ground, but struck a beautiful pose to conclude the song.
Cunningham and Binda created a lively show with energy and attention-grabbing aspects each moment. The party scene featured a large number of children who showed impressive young talent. Throughout the performance, adorable kids appeared as various characters such as bon bons, cherubs, a gingerbread cookie, a baby mouse and a little bunny. When onstage, they stole the show, receiving “aw”s from the audience in their precious little costumes.
The Nutcracker presented a heartwarming promotion for Christmas, embellished with profession and sophistication. Despite the seemingly premature month of November, this ballet production set the holiday season on course.
The Nutcracker will be performed at the Saroyan by the Californa Arts Academy on Dec. 19-20. For more information, visit the Saroyan’s ticket-master page.
