As Christmas approaches the airwaves are filled with Christmas Carols.  Holiday Specials are broadcast on television, interrupted by holiday advertisement.  Retail stores are filled with gifts and their wrappings.  Town squares and city blocks are decorated with the flavors of the season.  Most prevalent in my recollection of a Bostonian’s holiday season tradition is Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

If one could describe the experience that is Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker in one word it would most certainly be “spectacular”.  The ornate set pieces and the lavish costumes paired with fly systems and snow flurries; this piece is a visual magnum opus.  The production quality of the ballet is always superb.  Mikko Nissinen choreographed the piece exquisitely, beautifully filling each musical phrase with complimentary combinations.  Notably of Mr. Nissinen’s choreography was his use of thematic repetition, in the Waltz of the Flowers, for example, establish a progression and build up in the steps until he is ultimately filling the trills of the music with tricks and lifts.  Often distinct musical sequences are filled quite repetitively equating the same set of steps with the same sounds in the music.  Mr. Nissinen chose to save those moments of where the choreography onomonapoetically fills the trills.  This created a dissonance between the dance and composition that cadenced quite nicely once the musical notation was quintessentially matched by the movement.

It must be said that, albeit nonetheless beautiful, the dance itself not the most breathtaking aspect of the performance.  The expectation of Boston Ballet is quite lofty.  It is, therefore, a disappointment to see unclean lines and seemingly laborious lifts of the Snow Queen and King, the loose synchronization of the Pastorale, or the prepped but not performed trick of the Arabian dancers.  This is in no way to suggest that the ballet being performed was of poor technique.  There were, with out a doubt, moments of prodigious form and athleticism.

One of the most enjoyable elements of the ballet was the Corps de Ballet.  In years past, I have been distracted by that one flower in the corps who’s a half a beat behind, or whose lines are sloppy.  This performance, however, left me captivated by the cohesion of “the group”, whether it was the Snowflakes or Flowers.  Precision and grace was the emblem of these ladies dancing as one.  Quite impressive was also the Young Man danced brilliantly.  He made his entrance with a switch leap with such an airtime that would give Michael Jordan an inferiority complex.  With his left foot fixated firmly to the stage as though it were the pin in a wheel he pirouetted and fuetéd dizzyingly and beautifully.  Harlequin and Columbine danced were a brief but boffo bit.  Columbine was exceptional in the affectation of her movement to capture the spring-loaded bounce of a wind up doll.  A mite of special recognition is warranted for the masculinity brought to the Arabian dance.  Often in this Divertissement the slinky style of the music inspires choreography and performance most characteristic of femininity.

Despite what seemed to be a problem in partnering, the Snow Queen was a technician with an extension that seemed limited only by her own discretion.  The ease with which her développé unfurled is the stuff of ballerina’s dreams.  Of the same ilk was James Whiteside as The Nutcracker/Cavalier.  As the Cavalier Mr. Whiteside turned out fluent Chainé leaps that gave the impression that any contact between his feet and the stage was more of a courtesy to the stage than a necessity to propel his movement.  The stand out performance of the evening was by far away the Russian in the Trepak Divertissement.  Athletic, energetic and precise, the most recognizable section of the suite was performed with bravado.

The Boston Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker was quite enjoyable.  Technically and Musically, Boston Ballet has once again demonstrated their commitment to the spectacle of the piece and season.  The dancers performed proficiently to bring delightful life to the choreography and vision or the company’s Artistic Director, Mikko Nissinen.  This staple of Boston’s holiday season has once again captured the hearts of the audience and declared the start of Christmas.

A beautiful tableau of The Land of Sweets