dirac Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Reviews of the English National Ballet's Nutcracker. Bachtrack Quote There have always been aspects of this ballet that have either infuriated or puzzled me, such as the needless, repetitive transitions between the characters of the Nutcracker and the Nephew: they even have an “excuse me” swap right in the middle of the luscious, romantic music of Tchaikovsky’s petit pas de deux; it is clearly intended to suggest that the doll and the nephew are one and the same but that illusion just doesn’t work. Another oddity is that unrealistic digital snow is projected against a scrim at the beginning and end of the ballet (with no snow falling on the various characters in the scene being enacted) but then artificial snow actually falls on the corps de ballet, dancing as Snowflakes, at the end of Act 1. Why the distinction? The Times Quote English National Ballet is proud of its Nutcracker tradition. The company has been performing Tchaikovsky’s ballet every Christmas for 70 years (albeit last year’s version ended up digital only) and, as the ENB director Tamara Rojo says, The Nutcracker is often the first exposure children have with her art form so it’s vital for developing the dance audience of tomorrow. I just wish ENB had a better Nutcracker than this. Broadway World Quote The best performances come from the leads. With a rotating cast, Lead Principal Erina Takahashi took the role of Clara on press night. Takahashi displays intricate delicacy in her dancing and shows a charming innocence as the young Clara. Eagling's choreography of the Sugar Plum Fairy is famously tricky, but her fouetté turns are seemingly effortless. Link to comment
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