George Balanchine's The Nutcracker
The New York City Ballet offered an uneven presentation of its annual "The Nutcracker" opening night, November 25, 2005 at the New York State Theatre. Act I fared much better than Act II in many ways.
The Stahlbaums held a very lovely party this year. Dena Abergel and Ask La Cour were the most sincere, animated and loving parents and hosts seen onstage in quite some time. They seemed so happy to be there and were tenderly attentive towards the children. The wee Stahlbaums, Isabella deVivo and Sebastien Peskind, added freshness to the roles of Marie and Fritz that was enjoyable to see. The children in the cast have often looked over-rehearsed and robotic but such was not the case with these two, nor with the others in the party scene.
And Robert La Fosse again reigned supreme as Herr Drosselmeier. Has anyone presented and perfected this role as well as he? Even a twist of his handkerchief to repair a broken nutcracker is a work of magic and art.
Ghaleb Kayali, dancing as his nephew and "The Nutcracker," is also perfecting those roles so very elegantly that successors will have to work hard to make their interpretations look as natural and effortless as his. He is a poised, elegant young dancer. His acting in Act II took ballet mime to new and exciting levels as he told his tale to the court.
A delightful surprise was the zany animation from Amar Ramasar as a feisty Mouse King, and later in Act II as an effusive and adorable Mother Ginger. He was never over-the-top, stopping short of slapstick. His comedy was finely tuned and delicious.
Parents, mice, soldiers and children all danced with an energy and warmth that was wonderful to see. And while the snow scene occasionally lacked aligned lines and needed tighter corps work in places, overall the effect was one of beauty.
Act II faltered a bit in places. Sofiane Sylve offered a decent Sugar Plum Fairy solo but seemed to need either a different tempo or more rehearsal with Cavalier Charles Askegard in their pas de deux. Last year, Sylve was a breathtakingly beautiful Dewdrop, stunning and faultless in all aspects. She is an amazing performer and one longed for that brilliance in her Sugar Plum this year. It was there in places, but was not sustained throughout. Jet lag? Oncoming flu? Perhaps later in the season as she settles into the role, her star qualities will return again in full.
The angels were superb and heart-wrenchingly sweet as they floated across the stage. Chocolate had a difficult job following their perfect performance. One missed the fire and passion seen when James Fayette and Pascale van Kipnis led the way. Teresa Reichlen's Coffee was passable. Anyone following Wendy Whelan should ask for coaching from her, and study her tapes. Commanding fluidity is needed to dance this well. Simply executing the steps is never enough.
Standouts were Tea with Daniel Ulbricht, Sterling Hyltin and Elizabeth Walker, dancing as crisp and sparkling as anyone could wish, over in a blink. Tom Gold, another dancer who is leaving a tough act to follow, bounced through his Candy Cane solo with well coordinated ease and energy. And Jennifer Tinsley, pert and elegant, with meltingly lovely epaulements and a glowing performance, deserved better than her rather reserved shepherdesses.
The Waltz of the Flowers corps danced as a fine unit. Ellen Bar and Abi Stafford were warm and winning, adding new sweetness to their demi-roles with their secure technique and lovely faces. Ashley Bouder nearly bowled everyone over, however. Youthful enthusiasm is wonderful, but she galloped through her solo instead of dancing with the style of the music and the choreography.
All the technical parts worked smoothly opening night from the bed to the tree to the scenery changes to the final sleigh ride. The orchestra under Andrea Quinn maintained its usual light-speed tempo throughout. One would love to see, just once, a performance that would allow the dancers more room for expression, especially in the Sugar Plum Fairy's and Cavalier's pas de deux, but Mr. B. probably would not approve.
Though this was not the first "Nutcracker" presented in the United States, the New York City Ballet's creation is still the model of timing, technique and presentation for other "Nutcrackers," no matter what their format. Long may it live for us to continue enjoying .