10 replies to this topic

[dirac]

A preview of the Aiken Civic Ballet's Nutcracker.

Quote

More than 90 dancers are participating in the performance, according to Wendy Swygert, president of the Aiken Civic Ballet Board of Directors.

This year is very special as the show is dedicated to the late Carl Crosby, a well-known local dancer and founder of the Aiken Civic Ballet. He passed away at the age of 88 in July.

[dirac]

Footwork Youth Ballet presents its Nutcracker.

Quote

Of note is Footwork Youth Ballet's dedication of the performances to the late Yvonne Mounsey, legendary dancer, performer and teacher. Having been one of Yvonne's students, artistic director Kirsten Oakley received much support and encouragement in the staging of Footwork Youth Ballet's first Nutcracker production – including costumes and choreography. Without her support, Oakley Ballet Center would not have gotten off the ground.

[dirac]

The Joffrey Balletwill visit Rhode Island.

Quote

FirstWorks is bringing jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to the Vets Auditorium and Joffrey Ballet dancing Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" to the Providence Performing Arts Center next year, the organization has announced.

[dirac]

Q&A with ballet teacher Diane Callahan.

Quote

What special twists or additions does the Gainesville Ballet include in its show?
When Allene West Kelley and I decided to choreograph “The Nutcracker” almost 25 years ago, we knew we would have to make some changes to the first act. The original version has a large party scene which includes many young children and their parents who are dancers. We did not have the rehearsal staff, that many children or parents willing to rehearse or the large sets needed to make that scene happen.

[dirac]

"10 Things The Nutcracker Won't Tell You," by Charles Passy for SmartMoney.

Quote

So, what's wrong with entertaining audiences and making money at the same time? Arguably nothing. But critics see a certain amount of greed when it comes to "The Nutcracker" -- in terms of how some companies take shortcuts (at least after they make the initial production investment) or try to milk the title for every last dollar (can you say "'Nutcracker' gift shop"?). And the end result is often a holiday spectacle without a certain sparkle -- the dollar signs trump the sugar plums, in other words. For this reason, Demetrius Klein, an acclaimed Ohio-based choreographer and dance-school director, has resisted staging his own "Nutcracker": He'd rather put art ahead of commerce, he says. "I would be interested in how many dance companies would continue to do a "Nutcracker" if it wasn't this huge cash cow," he adds.

[dirac]

An interview with Noah Hart of the Alabama Ballet.

Quote

"There's a certain comfort with the Grand Pas de Deux, because we hear Nutcracker music every year, not only in performances, but several hours a day in rehearsal as well. It’s also on the radio, and in TV commercials, in drug stores and your local coffee shop, to the point where you sometimes can't enjoy it because you are visualizing the choreography in your head."

[dirac]

A review of the Chamberlain Ballet's Nutcracker by Cheryl Callon for TheaterJones.

Quote

Take the party scene for example. Choreography is fairly simple and straightforward, favoring clean, elegant dances over a mish-mash of simultaneous scenarios, but something is missing. The individual sections lack spark and the humorous moments are few and far between. Whether it’s the choreography itself or a case of “matinee syndrome,” the segment falls flat. Things improve a bit with the battle scene, as Quinne’s dancing brings a bit of spunk to his character, but as a whole the piece doesn’t live up to its calling as a suspenseful fight sequence.

[dirac]

A review of Houston Ballet's Nutcracker by Adam Castaneda for Houston Press.

Quote

This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Stevenson production, so at this point, the excitement of revisiting The Nutcracker is being able to watch the stars of the company inhabit these familiar characters. The September 24 evening performance saw Amy Fote perform the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Fote, who is dancing her final performances at Houston Ballet, is an otherworldly presence. In her hands, the Sugar Plum Fairy becomes not only an empyreal figure, but a warm personality with a human heart. Her lines are so elegant, so supple, that every developpe and penche becomes a moment to of unearthly beauty.

[dirac]

A preview of Ballet West'sNutcracker season.

Quote

Artistic director Adam Sklute characterizes the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy as one of the hardest in the classical ballet repertoire, despite its relatively short length.
"I use this role as a showcase for my leading ballerinas, but also as a testing ground for my up-and-coming stars," he said. "If a ballerina can sustain and master the challenges of this role, I can seem them moving into other roles in the great ballerina repertoire."

[dirac]

A review of the latest transmission in the "Ballet in Cinema" series, “An Evening with Kylian/Inger/Walerski,” by Carrie Seidman in The Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Quote

Even this ardent fan of Kylián’s work had to give top billing to Walerski’s “Chamber,” part of a collaboration to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Igor Stravinsky’s “Le sacre du printemps,” the revolutionary ballet choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky that had Paris audiences streaming from the theater in protest when it debuted in 1913.

[dirac]

A preview of the Wilmington Ballet Company'sNutcracker.  TV segment, video.

Quote

With Christmas less than a month away, the Wilmington Ballet Company is putting on quite the act.