RWB’s dreamy Nutcracker sweet as a sugar plum

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/12/2018 (2713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The power of dreams and imagination took centre stage Wednesday night as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet opened its annual holiday production of Nutcracker, which still makes spirits bright 19 years since its December 1999 world première.

The 124-minute neoclassical story ballet (including intermission), steeped in Russian rigour and choreographed by Galina Yordanova and Nina Menon (with an assist by RWB artistic staff) tells the tale of wide-eyed innocent Clara, who becomes whisked away to the Sugar Plum Fairy’s magical kingdom with her dashing Nutcracker Prince to become the fairytale ballerina of her dreams.

The nine-show production that runs through Dec. 29 also features the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra crisply led by Earl Stafford, sumptuous period costumes by Paul Daigle with sets designed by Brian Perchaluk lit by Michael J. Whitfield.

The ballet is also quintessentially Canadian, featuring many cherished national symbols such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Busby hats, Hudson’s Bay point blankets and games of shinny that brings this two-act work set in Winnipeg, home.

And treasured city dance troupe, Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, had 16 colourful dancers suddenly bursting onstage for an excerpt of the traditional Hopak in the second act, eliciting the night’s loudest cheers and even piercing, stadium-friendly whistles from the enthralled crowd for their gravity-defying leaps and spins.

Principal dancer Sophia Lee (with alternating casts) exuded both poise and balletic grace in the lead role of Clara, from her first appearance during the younger Clara’s (sweetly portrayed by Taisi Tollasepp, who waltzes with young Julien, danced by a promising Nathaniel Ritter-Magot) fantasy about becoming a prima ballerina, through to her exultant final Grand Pas de Deux performed with corps de ballet member Tyler Carver as her dashing Prince.

Lee’s pristine classical technique, including spot-on fouettés and a suspended port de bras in which her arms float like wings of angels, became underscored by her innate musicality and instinctive acting skills. All that made her solo variation during her final “grand pas” become one of the show’s highlights.

Carver brought aristocratic bearing to his regal role, his long, lean lines pleasing to the eye that belied this dancer’s power and strength. This became evidenced during his own variation in which he bounds across the stage like a gazelle, while also proving a steadfast ballast for Lee’s pirouettes and their sky-high lifts grounded in a palpable trust.

Aunt Josephine, Clara’s deliciously flamboyant “singer from Montreal” is back — thank goodness — with this true “bon vivant” whom you’d like as your best gal pal brought to sparkling life by second soloist Elizabeth Lamont. The versatile, fire-and-ice ballerina radiated ebullient joy during the Christmas party scene, coquettishly donning her solider fiancé Edouard (corps de ballet member Stephan Azulay) before whipping off her own dizzying fouettés executed with military precision.

Principal dancer Jo-Ann Sundermeier also reprised her role of Grandmother Marguerite, bringing enough spunk to her all-knowing character to make aging look oh-so-fun.

Second soloist Liam Caines portrayed Clara’s godfather Drosselmeier, that saw him seamlessly morphing between choreographic styles during the second act divertissement, as well as coaching cherubs in their baking skills, directing glittery reindeer to pull Clara’s swan-festooned sleigh to the Kingdom, and ultimately leading Clara and the Prince to their climactic duet. His charismatic performance, including instilling his plot-driving character with swaggering bravado, matched only by larger-than-life acting skills, made Caines the backbone for the entire ballet.

The show’s cast has grown in the past 19 years, but so has its furry contingent. Beloved grizzly Filbert the Bear (Katie Simpson, sharing this year’s pelt with Katie Bonnell) — has been given a makeover this year, with her now wide-open eyes appearing glazed over by her prized figgy pudding. Hazel the Polar Bear (Peter-Nicholas Taylor), elicited loud oohs and ahs from the crowd while shepherding 12 adorable polar cubs, added from the RWB School, as were the mice, party children, tiny Mounties and rosy-cheeked cherubs who flit around Drosselmeier as they should.

The second act showcases a series of folkloric dances, now grown even more resonant today as a nod to Canada’s time-honoured legacy of multiculturalism (yes, it’s “only” ballet, but art does imitate life at times), including Arabian, Chinese and Spanish-inspired dances, in addition to the spark-flying Rusalkas.

The lovely, lilting Waltz of the Flowers always stirs with its ensemble of garlanded dancers, as do the first act’s Snowflakes, whose performance under falling flakes is arguably one of the RWB’s most breathtaking scenes in its entire classical canon.

Soloist Yayoi Ban brought natural grace to her role as the Sugar Plum Fairy, embodying pure sweetness and beaming joy with her every stage appearance, including holding her own with the pastel-tutued “flower” ballerinas.

By contrast, the overly frenetic (and frantic) battle scene that pits the leering Mouse King (Liam Saito) against the soldiers and Mounties would likely benefit from greater rehearsal time and a co-ordination of ground troops. A few wonky curtain malfunctions occurred opening night, and it’s only gilding the lily to add the extra white curtain at the top of Act II, drawn by Drosselmeier to reveal the kingdom — Perchaluk’s glorious sets provide enough wow factor on their own.

As expected, the mixed-generation audience members leapt to its feet for the RWB’s most intergenerational, culturally rich ballet, their own visions of sugarplums now dancing through their heads, thanks to this ever-sweet festive rite.

holly.harris@shaw.ca