Review: ‘The Nutcracker’

Written By: news@duluthnewstribune.com | Dec 13th 2008 – 12am.

Yes, the weather outside was getting frightful, but the Minnesota Ballet’s unique version of “The Nutcracker” is absolutely delightful. So let it snow, because in Duluth we actually applaud it.

Conceived and choreographed by Allen Fields, this “Nutcracker” is set in a Victorian Age Duluth and offers beautiful scenery representing the Northland, designed by Ann Gumpper, and equally impressive costumes, courtesy of Claudia Clark Myers.

Mention must also be made of the dozens of young girls in the audience, also dressed up in their finest, who took great delight in peering into the pit to watch the stellar Festival Orchestra tune up before the familiar music and magical story played out for an appreciative audience once again.

Hayden Stark, the guest student dancer playing Clara’s brother Fritz as an impish sprite dressed appropriately in red, earned the first big applause of the evening during the party scene. Suzie Bear and Reinhard von Rabenau were enchanting as the Dolls, doing a marvelous impression of ballet puppets on invisible strings.

The Act I highpoint came when Dream Marie (Suzanne Kritzberg) and her Prince (Yosuke Yamamoto) entered the Land of the Snow, their outfits matching the blue, white and gray color scheme of the backdrop, with its intricately cut-out giant birch trees.

As Kritzberg’s skirt swirled around her while she twirled and it began to snow, this “Nutcracker” constructed the most gorgeous scene I have ever seen on stage in my life. Watching Duluth’s prima ballerina, her face lit up with childish delight while evincing her customary pristine lines and dazzling pirouettes, was a principal treat of the evening.

A large part of the fun were the dozens of young dancers that make up the majority of the company for “The Nutcracker.” For me, the most captivating were those young ballerinas dancing as shepherdesses with the Mirliton and trying so earnestly to strike professional poses on stage.

The troupe’s artistic director, Robert Gardner, in addition to providing comic relief as both Uncle Drosselmeyer and Mother Ginger, has provided new choreography for several of the Act II dances. The common denominator is the use of props: A long piece of blue fabric for the Arabian dancers, a yellow pole for the Chinese, and a flute and some sheep for the Mirlitons.

The standout piece was the Arabian Dance, performed by Anna Acker and Benjamin Biswell with not only definite shades of supple belly dancing, but several moves I usually associate only with ice dancing competitions. Amanda Abrahamson also earned frequent applause for her long leaps and swift spins as the Dew Drop Fairy.

Gardner has been talking up the new pairings on display in this year’s “Nutcracker,” which found newcomer Kaori Takai as the Sugar Plum Fairy, partnered with Igor Burlak as her Cavalier. Takai, a willowy dancer with an effervescent smile, and the stalwart Burlak, who displayed his superb solo work as well, earned the longest applause of the delightful evening for their Grand Pas de Deux.

The caveat to the above is that the Minnesota Ballet’s grand design this season means that in each performance virtually all of the principals are dancing different roles. But have no doubt that the magic will remain.