Theatre

Nerubashenko Ballet’s The Nutcracker At Grand Opera House, York Review

TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.

Reviewed by Lindsay Burton

Whether you are a ballet lover or new to the world of dance, the classical delights of these Tchaikovsky favourites will delight you.

It’s a perfect treat for the whole family to enjoy The Nutcracker. The Nutcracker is an 1892 two-act “fairy ballet” set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child’s imagination. The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” written by E.T.A. Hoffman. Although what is seen on the stage today is different in detail from the original story, the basic plot remains the same; The story of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads. The story begins when Clara receives a Nutcracker doll that comes to life at the stroke of midnight. It is Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum house — A large and grand house with the most beautiful tree imaginable. The Stahlbaums are hosting their annual Christmas party, welcoming the arrival of their family and friends and the children, Clara and Fritz, are dancing and playing as they welcome their friends too.

The party grows festive with music and dance as their godfather Drosselmeyer arrives. He is a skilled clock and toy maker and always full of surprises. Drosselmeyer draws everyone’s attention as he presents life-size dolls as entertainment – they are the delight of the party, each taking a turn to dance.

The children begin to open gifts when Drosselmeyer presents his to Clara and Fritz. Although his gift to Fritz is quite nice, he gives Clara a beautiful Nutcracker that becomes the hit of the party. Fritz becomes jealous and, having a bit more spunk than a boy should have, grabs the nutcracker from Clara and promptly breaks it. Clara is heartbroken looking on as Drosselmeyer quickly repairs the Nutcracker with a handkerchief he magically draws from the air. As the evening grows late, the guests depart and the Stahlbaum family retires for the evening. Clara, worried about her beloved Nutcracker, sneaks back to the tree to check on him, falling asleep with him in her arms.

Live orchestral performances of familiar ballet scores are a wonderful addition to these amazing ballets. The dancers were lovely, their routines were wonderfully choreographed and regardless of one dancer in the back of the ballroom scene forgetting some parts to his dance, the group as a collective were mesmerising to watch and the dancer soon recovered from his little blip. Costumes were lovely and together with the orchestra, we were transported from York Grand Opera House to a wonderful adventure with Clara, her prince and the Mouse King.

A hand-picked cast of international dancers will perform the Smirnov Golovanov productions, alongside performers from Marina Medvetskaya’s International Classic Ballet Theatre. He left behind a legacy, which is being preserved by Ludmila Nerubashenko, the widow of late Smirnov-Golovanov (the Honoured Arts Worker of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and former Artistic Director of the Odessa State Opera and Ballet Theatre). Educating young artists in physicality, artistry, and creativity is Ludmila’s dedication to fulfilling the legacy of the artists who preceded her. To visit the United Kingdom in 2023, she has selected the best of these young dancers.

The Nutcracker is at York Grand Opera House on 22nd January for one performance only at 5pm – the performance was sold out so watch out for tour dates near you – you don’t want to miss this performance. Tickets can be purchased from https://www.atgtickets.com and prices start from £13. The next tour venue is Stoke on Trent.

Rating: 4/5

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