Ballet West's wonderful production of The Nutcracker is one of my favorite traditions (it just wouldn't be Christmas without it) and I was really excited to see it last night. I love everything about this ballet and I eagerly anticipate every scene and every note from Tchaikovsky's magnificent score (it seemed to go by so quickly last night). My favorite scenes include the party revealing the Christmas tree to Clara, Fritz, and the rest of the children because it is enchanting, the nutcracker leading a group of toy soldiers in battle against the mice because it is thrilling, and the dance of the Snow Queen and Snow King with their snowflakes because it is dazzling. When Clara and her Nutcracker Prince reach the Land of Sweets, the Sugar Plum Fairy presents a series of divertissements for their entertainment and I always really love the Arabian dance because it is so exotic and the Russian dance because it is so athletic (it received the loudest applause last night). However, the scene I anticipate the most is the Grand Pas de Deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier because both Tchaikovsky's music and William Christensen's choreography are almost unbearably romantic (I love when she jumps into his arms and then leans all the way forward almost touching the stage). I have to admit that I was disappointed because I specifically selected this performance in order to see Katlyn Addison and Adrian Fry in these roles and I was really looking forward to it but there was a casting change. To be fair, Kristina Pool and Hadriel Diniz danced the roles beautifully and had great chemistry with each other but I was hoping to see my favorites and, unfortunately, I let that influence my enjoyment a bit. I was, however, still completely caught up in the magic of the stunning sets, the opulent costumes, and the impressive special effects (the people sitting behind me gasped out loud when the nutcracker was transformed and when Clara's sled flew across the stage) and I felt like a child as I always do when watching this ballet. It is a lovely tradition and I recommend getting a ticket for one of the performances through December 28 (go here).
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