Saturday, November 27

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A review of Boston Ballet's Nutcracker by Jeffrey Gantz in The Boston Globe.

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Opening night was in fact ladies’ night. Soo-bin Lee’s winsome Ballerina Doll was light on the traditional robotics, but I liked her idea of a doll striving to become human. Lia Cirio was a rapt and radiant Snow Queen, Ji Young Chae a fresh, light Dew Drop with assured Italian fouettés. In Coffee, a lithe and insinuating Chyrstyn Fentroy made the upside-down split and the plank lift look like child’s play. And Viktorina Kapitonova’s Sugar Plum Fairy combined delight at having Clara as a protégée with gorgeous extension, a teasing celesta variation, and total command of her manège and her travelling fouettés.

 

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Houston Ballet's Nutcracker returns to the stage after two years.

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It's Houston Ballet's largest production by far -- 22 trucks deliver the massive set pieces. "'The Nutcracker' is bigger than most Broadway shows," Nelson says. "It's a big logistical project."

 

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Scottish Ballet kicks off its new tour with "The Nutcracker."

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Originally choreographed by Scottish Ballet founder, Peter Darrell, in 1972, Scottish Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ was re-imagined in 2014 by CEO/Artistic Director Christopher Hampson, working with multi-award-winning Designer Lez Brotherson. It includes unforgettable scenes such as on-stage snow, a whirling Victorian Christmas party, and a mesmerizing duet in front of a wall of 4,500 gleaming baubles.

 

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The Billings Symphony's Nutcracker sells out.

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"Every year, you keep it interesting, find new moments, new nuances that keep the show alive year after year," said Matt Carney, executive director of the San Diego Ballet. "And I think working with the Billings Symphony Orchestra, it's so nice to work with live musicians because it keeps the show alive."

 

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A review of the Ballet Icons Gala by Teresa Guerreiro for CultureWhisper.

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Similarly, Act II started with the pas de deux from Paquita, danced by English National Ballet’s Ukrainian first soloist Katja Khaniukova partnered by the flamboyant Francesco Gabriele Frola.

 

Everything seems to come easy to Khaniukova, her exciting dancing peppered with knowing glances to the audience as if to say, ‘see what I can do?’ For his part Frola is every inch the showman, delighting in virtuoso jumps and tricks, though on occasion he lacks control and finesse.