On December 19th, 2015 I had the pleasure of watching the Goh Ballet's rendition of a Christmas classic, "The Nutcracker". One of my favourite parts of attending any ballet, play, or performance, is perhaps the excitement when the lights begin to dim and the orchestra's music begins to fade in. Once the curtains began to draw open and the Christmas Party Scene came in to focus. I was immediately impressed with the professionalism of all of the dancers of all ages throughout the entire performance, along with the beautiful costumes and sets. I also would like to compliment the orchestra for a terrific job of playing one of my favourite pieces of classical music.
Some of my favourite dances from the First Act and Prologue, include a dance by the grandfather and grandmother of Clara during the Christmas Party Scene, and I just have to say that I am always amazed at the commitment they take each year to perform, and I thought that they did an amazing job! :) I also thought that the dancer who played Clara was wonderful, and very expressive, an especially important feature for a dancer. Additionally, I thought that the Harlequin and Columbine, were a great asset to the scene, and was very believable. I always like to give credit to the dancer who plays the bear, as I can't imagine how incredibly difficult, not to mention warm, it must be to dance in a bear suit, and I thought that their grand jetes were great. One of the most adorable dancers that I always enjoy seeing, which may seem like a small part, but adds something special, is the gingerbread doll. Moreover, I loved the performance of the Snowflakes, and I especially loved their sparkly costumes, which were absolutely stunning. In addition, the Snow Queen and Snow King were very elegant and had flawless technique.
As for Act 2, I always love the Sugar Plum Fairy's performance no matter what, and I thought that Noelani Pantastico (Pacific Northwest Ballet, Principal Dancer), added a great flair to the show. I also thought Chocolates (Spanish) were fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed their performance. One dance in particular that I wasn't expecting but was amazed by was the Dew Drop dance, as depending on which Nutcracker you see, are typically only in Contemporary Ballet companies such as the NYC Ballet. However, I was pleasantly surprised, and I was very impressed by the dancers enthusiasm and pointe work. One of the dances that I thought was adorable were the Little Lambs. Especially, the one lamb dressed, as the black sheep of the flock, who did a great performance, which was also a crowd favourite. Another dance I always enjoy is Les Libellules, as I always find them to be some of the stronger dancers on pointe, and I love the music that goes with it.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Goh Ballet's rendition of "The Nutcracker", held at the beautiful theatre, The Centre, and I loved the fact that they incorporated professional dancers, as well as dancers from Beijing, China. Specifically, on the day I was there the dancers who graced the stage included: Noelani Pantastico as the Sugar Plum Fairy (Principal Dancer until November 2015 with the Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB)), James Moore as the Cavalier Prince (Principal Dancer with the Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB)), Adonis Daukaev as Drosselmeyer (Guest Artist, Ballet Master for the Vaganova Ballet Academy, and previous Principal Dancer at the Lvov Opera and Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern in Germany), and dancers from the Beijing Dance Academy playing various roles in the performance. Along with those incredible dancers include the choreographer, Anna-Marie Holmes, and the conductor, Leslie Dala. Additionally, another principal dancer from the San Francisco Ballet, Frances Chung, was a dancer I had hoped to see as well, as I had taken a Master Class with her last year, and was hoping to see her perform this time. Unfortunately, she was dancing the next day, as the dance in rotation, however, I was not disappointed with Noelani Pantastico's performance, as it was absolutely breathtaking and beautiful, as well. So all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the Goh's take on "The Nutcracker", and I thought they did an amazing interpretation.
Side Note: In the future, I hope to be able to see other renditions of this beloved classic, as well, as there are so many different interpretations, which all have their own strengths and weaknesses. One day, I hope to see the ABT's (American Ballet Theatre) rendition, with Misty Copeland (Principal Dancer) as the Sugar Plum Fairy, as I think she is an amazing dancer who has a special spark inside of her, especially after learning about her history through her autobiography called, "Life in Motion". Along with that, I would also like to see the New York City Ballet's rendition, as I absolutely fell in love with their performance of Swan Lake, when I saw them perform in 2010. Especially, after reading Jenifer Ringer's autobiography, "Dancing Through It". Unfortunately, Ms. Ringer has now retired from being a Principal Dancer with the NYC Ballet, after an amazing career, so I wouldn't be able to see her perform live, but after reading her novel, I became fascinated with their special rendition of the Nutcracker. One day, I also hope to see Miko Fogarty perform as the Sugar Plum Fairy with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, even though right now she isn't a principal dancer yet, I know that one day she will be, and when it happens it will be fantastic (If you couldn't tell, I'm a huge fan of her dancing after watching her in the documentary, "First Position") :). Another interpretation I would love to see is by the Master Ballet Academy based in Arizona, as they are an outstanding studio, and this year they had Juliet Doherty as the Sugar Plum Fairy, along with a fantastic cast of dancers such as, Sophia Lucia, Avery Gay, Reina Stamm, and more! Please feel free to let me know what you thought of both this article and comment your thoughts on your favourite interpretation of "The Nutcracker" :)