RWB delivers much-needed joy with beloved holiday classic

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This article was published 19/12/2021 (1622 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet presented an early Christmas treat Saturday night with its first fully staged production of Nutcracker since December 2019, proving even the looming shadows of a global pandemic can’t dampen the magic of this beloved ballet that continues to bring much-needed joy to the world.

The 124-minute production (including intermission) that runs through Dec. 28 follows last year’s live-streamed, re-imagined The Nutcracker Suite performed at the RWB’s Founders’ Studio as its inaugural digital offering. While the company did an admirable job pivoting with virtual ballets last year, there is nothing quite like seeing a pirouette up-close-and-personal to set the heart a-flutter, with the troupe also having just returned from a sold-out, five-show tour of the holiday classic to Ottawa’s National Arts Centre.

Set in 1913 Winnipeg, the full-length story ballet choreographed by Galina Yordanova and Nina Menon, and performed en pointe tells the tale of wide-eyed innocent Clara, 12, who enters a fantastical world in which her gift of a carved nutcracker doll transforms into a dashing prince, while she becomes the storybook ballerina of her dreams. The ballet is infused with quintessentially Canadian symbols, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police in furry Busby hats, point blankets, games of shinny, and polar bears aplenty.

Soloist Elizabeth Lamont lit up the stage with her every appearance as grown-up Clara (all leads alternating). She created an exquisite fairy tale princess with her mature artistry grounded in impeccable technique, including floating port de bras and rock-solid pointework underpinned by her expressive acting ability. Her radiant presence created many lump-in-your-throat moments during the first act’s Snow Pas de Deux, as well as the climactic Grand Pas de Deux performed with her Prince, including exultant lifts as light as snow.

Principal dancer Yue Shi brought regal bearing to his title role as the Nutcracker Prince, enthralling with his powerhouse leaps literally knowing no bounds during his Grand Pas de Deux solo variation, performed with bravura that became a highlight of the entire evening.

Another became Second Soloist Jaimi Deleau reprising her role as the Sugar Plum Fairy, leading the always-glorious, lilting Waltz of the Flowers during the second act’s The Kingdom divertissement, as well as her later Gigue with her magical counterpart and benevolent plot driver, Clara’s godfather, Drosselmeier performed with buoyant athleticism and often playful panache by Second Soloist Liam Caines.

Another favourite relative, the deliciously flamboyant Aunt Josephine — an “actress from Montreal” — was back in the fold, with the versatile Deleau in her double role throwing sparks — and especially during her spot-on series of whipped fouettés — while coquettishly flirting with her particularly youthful fiancé, Edouard (Corps de Ballet member Michel Lavoie) during the ebullient party scene.

Young Clara (Hannah Hunter) who shyly falls in teenaged love with Drosselmeier’s grandnephew Julien (Andrew Welsh) treated us with their gracefully gentle waltz in the first act, juxtaposed with Soloist Yayoi Ban’s grandmother dancing with Drosselmeier that always stirs with its continuity of generations.

Other much-missed characters were back, including the waddling, giggle-inducing Filbert the bear (Kyra Soo), Hazel the polar bear (Alex Stonehouse), with fewer cubs this year owing to the pandemic, the glittering reindeer, as well as adorable cherubs baking their cake with Drosselmeier, showcasing students from both the RWB School Professional and Recreational Divisions.

The corps de ballet members appeared particularly strong as the Snowflakes, performing as a well-unified ensemble under falling flakes (albeit this writer still misses the children’s choir adding their voices to the mix), as well as conversely, during the harrowing battle scene with its bats and army of bulgy legged mice.

The second act’s series of multicultural dances speaking to the fabric of Canada’s rich ethnic diversity never disappoints, with highlights this year including Chinese (principal dancer Alanna McAdie), Arabian, (Katie Bonnell with Stephan Azulay), and Russian (Emilie Lewis and Parker Long).

RWB Principal Conductor Julian Pellicano led a compact, COVID-19 friendly Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra with passion throughout Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, with the production also featuring all costumes by Paul Daigle, and lighting design by Michael J. Whitfield, with early 20th century period and fantastical sets created by Winnipeg’s Brian Perchaluk.

After an admittedly slow start to the 2021-22 season in which RWB dancers appeared (understandably) nervous, and even unusually tentative, returning to the stage after a prolonged, COVID-19 inspired hiatus during its mixed repertoire opener, Nutcracker proved this ballet company is back in business for creating magic. No doubt counting sleeps until this weekend’s opening night, the beaming, unmasked dancers were given a thunderous ovation by the mixed generation audience; their cheers, cries of bravo, and whistles seemingly expressing appreciation for being inspired to dream again — as perhaps the best Christmas gift of all.

The production runs through Dec. 28. For information including COVID-19 related performance updates, visit www.rwb.org.

holly.harris@shaw.ca