Christmas Tradition

Every ballet company puts on The Nutcracker at Christmas. For many, it is their most lucrative show and is essential to their bottom-line. The National Ballet has its own version, created in 1995 by its then resident choreographer James Kudelka. I finally went to see it on Friday accompanied by a tiny dance enthusiast.

Unfortunately, I think 6 years old is still too young for a 2 hour show. She found it too long and was fidgety throughout the performance despite our excellent seats. I enjoyed the piece but also found it just on this side of dull. The staging and props were wonderful, from the large homey Victorian hearth, to the giant Christmas tree, to the gigantic golden Faberge egg wherein dwelt the Sugar Plum Fairy. The costumes were likewise magical: rat soldiers, unicorns, and snow fairies. Accompanied by the familiar score, it was a feast for eyes and ears.

But the choreography, perhaps keeping in mind the typical Nutcracker audience, was very classical, very traditional and very safe. As each set piece came: the Snow Queen, the Sugar Plum Fairy, The Dance of the Flowers, and so on, I admired their prettiness but not moved. I liked attempts to modernize the ethnic dances especially the Egyptian/Middle-East quartet who snaked and pulsed like mirror images come to life. Overall, it was sufficiently glamorous and thus befitting a well-loved tradition.