Utah Arts Review

Ballet West kicked off the holiday season with (surprise!) The Nutcracker Friday night at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. This annual classic with historic choreography, accomplished dancers, and Tchaikovsky’s iconic score continues to delight families throughout Utah.    

This holiday tradition, originally choreographed in 1944 by Willam Christensen, was first performed in Utah in 1955. Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s novella The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, Ballet West’s The Nutcracker tells the story of a young girl given the gift of a nutcracker on Christmas Eve. She dreams that the nutcracker is really an enchanted prince who defeats the Mouse King to break the curse, then takes her on a journey through the Land of Snow and the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. 

The ballet begins at Dr. Drosselmeyer’s toy shop before the party, and in the first minute Dominic Ballard as Drosselmeyer set a magical tone. His gestures were evocative and joyful as he packaged up the Nutcracker and set off down the snowy street. His charm continued at the party while orchestrating the dancing doll and bear, but also through background moments like devouring a plate of chocolates while the parents danced.

Katlyn Addison & Adrian Fry were dazzling as the Snow Queen and King. Their height accentuated the graceful lines of the pas de deux, and their turns were crisp and precise. The final lift as he carried her offstage was met with thunderous applause from the audience.  

Act Two takes Clara to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy where the whole kingdom celebrates her. The male soloists in the divertissements were all a pleasure to watch, from the rapid turns of David Huffmire in the Spanish Dance, to Loren Walton’s confident acrobatics in the Chinese Dance, and the explosive height in William Lynch’s jumps in the Russian Dance. 

The Waltz of the Flowers was particularly vibrant. Rylee Ann Rogers and Tyler Gum were a majestic pair, with poised lifts and pirouettes enhanced by a relaxed elegance that emphasized the small details in the choreography. The four Flower soloists were exuberant in their leaps across the stage.  

Jenna Rae Herrera and Jordan Veit as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier proved a charismatic couple. Their pas de deux highlighted long, stunning balance from Herrera and a series of effortless-looking lifts from Veit. The solos were a showcase for Veit’s powerful leaps in a circle across the stage which contrasted beautifully with Herrera’s delicate and exacting pointework.  

The children’s cast has a large part in the production, with 80 roles as party guests, soldiers, and attendants to the Sugar Plum Fairy. They were well-rehearsed and a great addition to the production. 

The Ballet West Orchestra performed the Tchaikovsky score under music director Jared Oaks. Unhurried tempos throughout the performance helped the dancers settle into the choreography, but some of the woodwind and brass entrances were rough opening night.

Ballet West’s The Nutcracker continues through December 27. balletwest.org