Review by Christie Seaver on 08/12/2008
A fine line exists between over-indulging at Christmas and celebrating its true meaning, and the same can be said for productions of The Nutcracker. Some versions get carried away with growing Christmas trees and lifelike presents, but the Irish National Youth Ballet’s felt nothing short of magical.
Artistic director Katherine Lewis excels at creating movement for the company, and consequently the dancers’ confidence soars when executing it. From the adorable mice niggling at a poised Adine Gerber as Clara to the elegant quartet of angels ushering in the sleigh, the dancers interpreted Hoffmann’s tale with passion.
This ballet also serves as a benchmark for dancers marking their progress, graduating from children in the party scene to the more advanced soldiers, angels and snowflakes and ultimately into the coveted Act II soloist roles.
In this rendition the second act divertissements played to the dancers’ strengths, making the litany of dances surprisingly exciting to watch.
Standouts included Marta Capolei’s steely legwork and calm upper body and the seamlessly moving corps in the Chinese Tea dance.
The Waltz of the Flowers proved less successful because of the demanding steps en pointe during the longest and most arduous number, but the company members united as if they had worked together all year.
One payoff for performing the same ballet every holiday season is the hope that some day it will be possible to step into the Sugar Plum Fairy’s and Nutcracker Prince’s shoes.
Guest artists Juliana Bastos and Jerome Buttazzoni from Ballet du Capitole, Toulouse, set the perfect example, forming a splendid partnership with her lucid footwork and his regal disposition.
Their pas de deux deviated from the norm because it was punctuated with whiplash-speed turns and unusually daring lifts — a generous offering in a duet that can sometimes look robotic.
Their expertise and the rest of the company’s earnestness erased any sense of repetition that might have lingered over this holiday production, instead making for some of the best ballet dancing seen here in recent years.