A TRULY ENCHANTING DANCE OF TWO HALVES
Rich in colour, artistry and grace… no wonder Tchaikovsky’s ballet has stood the test of time
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker has joined that illustrious group of successful shows that got poor reviews on their first outings and have since become world favourites. It took a while to catch on outside Russia, but it has been going strong since the 1930s.
And this delightful production by Ballet Ireland – celebrating its 20th year – shows why the ballet retains its appeal. It has all the colour, grace and artistry you expect: an enchanting little Clara, elegant Sugar Plum fairy, a regal Cavalier, and repulsivelooking Mouse King with his army of giant mice for the dramatic first act.
Tchaikovsky himself wasn’t happy about his music at first and even considered it ‘infinitely worse than its predecessors’. The original production in 1892 was shorter than it is now and was put on with his one-act opera, Iolanthe. Tchaikovsky wrote that the opera was liked, but the ballet not. How often do you hear of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanthe now?
One of the novelties in the ballet was the use of the recently-invented celeste (similar to a small upright piano but sounds like bells) for the Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy. Tchaikovsky was so excited when he first heard it in Paris, that he had one secretly imported, so he could use it before the other Russian composers.
Dramatically, Nutcracker is an uneven balance between the excitement of the first act, and the artistic entertainment put on for Clara in the Kingdom of Sweets to celebrate her victory over the Mouse King. But on the plus side, the second half has all those great melodies, wonderfully orchestrated and choreographed, which include the various ethnic dances, Waltz Of The Flowers and of course the Dance Of The
Sugar Plum Fairy, all rounded off into a gorgeous finale by the whole company. The lovely pas de deux and snow scene at the end of Act One were a visually enchanting introduction to Clara’s entry into the Kingdom of Sweets.
Ryoko Yagyu is again the central character as Clara, dancing and acting with a refinement that makes the most of every nuanced gesture. Seu Kim was a big hit with his Russian Dance, and Katy Harvey and Tuen van Roosmalen were an elegant combination as Sugar Plum and her Cavalier. The whole production shows all the signs of an ensemble working together as an integrated team.
‘This production shows all the signs of an ensemble working together as an integrated team’
n Nutcracker moves to Dublin’s Blanchardstown and Wexford this week. See tour details at balletireland.ie