Alberta Ballet's "The Nutcracker" 2019 Review!

Happy New Year! A few days ago I went to see the Alberta Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” and had a great time! Over the years, it’s become a bit of tradition that my mom and I have continued to do and this year we were able to do the same. Also, since we had gone to see Ballet BC present the Nutcracker last year with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet I was sent an access code to pre-buy tickets and also have a 2 for 1 ticket deal, which allowed us to pick amazing seats. We were fortunate enough to sit in the front row (Side Note: Fourth row is considered the first row at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, as the first three rows are generally considered to be too close to watch the performance).

For this year’s Nutcracker I was really impressed. I wasn’t sure at first how it would be, as I hadn’t heard much about it and had never seen any productions by Alberta Ballet but it was wonderful. The costumes were gorgeous and the sets were creative and inventive with a new twist on a holiday classic. My favourite costumes were for Klara, the Flowers, Karl the Nutcracker, the Snowflakes, and Snow Tsarina. Some of the modifications made for this version of the ballet included a more prominent setting of being set in Russia than previous adaptations I’ve seen over the years with signature Russian landmarks in the background.

One of my favourite parts of the ballet was how they kept changing the sets fairly frequently, which helped keep up visual interest for audience members similar to watching a movie. All of the dancers were excellent, especially the dancers for Klara, Karl the Nutcracker, the Chinese dancers, and the Snowflakes. One detail that I really appreciated that they did in the ballet was have the dancers who played the wolves and rats incorporate movements in more of a crouched position similar to that of a four-legged animal. This made it feel more real and authentic for the audience, as well as the additional neck/head movements that were choreographed to give the impression of an animal rather than a person.

Klara’s dancing in particular was very articulate and expressive, while also capturing the innocence of a young girl that is required for the role. The role of Klara for the production I watched was for the December 28th, 2019 Matinee. However, they had an announcement of a change in cast, so understudies performed some of the roles such as Klara. Despite this, unless I had been told this I wouldn’t have noticed, as the dancer for Klara performed her role so well it was like it was her role from the beginning, as she claimed it.

Karl the Nutcracker was also excellent, as his grand jetes and entournants held their suspensions in midair and his cabrioles and brises looked effortless (as were the male dancers throughout the ballet such as the Flower Cavaliers). I was also very impressed by the Chinese dancers fouettes both on flat and on pointe. Also, the sugar plum fairy and cavalier’s variations brought out the best in each other when they danced together. One thing I noticed that was slightly different than other versions I’ve seen was that there were two Russian dancers instead of three, as I’m used to seeing. Despite this, the dancers did a good job in taking up the space and danced with great technique and expression.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this ballet was that the dancers seemed genuinely happy to be performing. For most ballet productions I’ve seen, most of them are fairly happy, but in this production it seemed fairly unanimous comparatively. All of which makes it so much more enjoyable to watch. Their technique and synchronicity was also wonderful. For instance, during Act One at the Christmas party scene when the male dancers and Nikolai dance together in a line doing turns and jumps. Also, during the Snowflakes and Flowers & Flower Cavaliers dance.

In total there was one 15-minute intermission between Act One and Act Two and the ballet was two hours long. There were both matinee and evening performances at 1pm and 6:30pm with a total of 5 performances over 3 days. The ballet also had live music performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO), which in my opinion always makes the ballet feel extra special. Also the VSO did a wonderful job in performing the music. Also, Edmund Stripe did the choreography for the ballet, which was very well done. During intermission they also sold drinks and snacks, and I saw that they also sold roasted nuts just like in London, which made me happy, even though I know it's not just a London holiday snack.

One of my favourite things about seeing Ballet BC present the Nutcracker over the past few years is that they always bring in a new ballet company. Since it’s nice to see what each company brings and also how a classic such as the Nutcracker can be re-interpreted into something completely new and fresh. Overall, I really enjoyed the ballet and I can’t wait to share with you more reviews in the New Year! Let me know what you’d like to hear about next. Thanks for reading and Happy New Year from Dance News BC! :)

Here I am near the Queen Elizabeth Theatre's entrance inside the theatre before the ballet started.

Photo taken for (c) Dance News BC 2019

#balletbcnutcracker #albertaballetnutcracker #nutcracker #nutcrackerballet #nutcrackerballetreview #nutcrackerballetreview2019 #dancenewsbc #christmasballet #christmasdance #balletreview #balletreview2019 #sayurinakanii #queenelizabeththeatre #albertaballetcompany #albertaballetschool #albertaballetartists #vancouversymphonyorchestra #vso #vancouverballet #edmundstripe