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Putting a new spin on "Nutcracker"
Posted: Nov 21, 2007 in Things to do, Culture
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Even among traditional dance pieces, there's always room for something new.
In Indianapolis there's no shortage of "Nutcracker" productions, for instance -- especially student versions. However, a newcomer to Indy's dance scene, the Cincinnati Ballet, plans to introduce Hoosiers to a professional production created by a well-known West Coast choreographer.
Thirty-six professional dancers based in Ohio will join about 80 students from the Russian Ballet Academy of Indiana for six mid-December shows at the Murat Centre.
Cincinnati Ballet's "Nutcracker" was created in 2001 by Val Caniparoli, a choreographer who has been associated with the San Francisco Ballet for more than three decades, and has created pieces for more than 35 companies. Born in Seattle, Caniparoli is known for his full-length "Lady of the Camellias" from 1994, and for his more recent "A Cinderella Story," set to music by Richard Rodgers.
The arrival of the Cincinnati "Nutcracker" in Indianapolis may be welcome news for locals eager for the return of a professional production since the 32-year-old Ballet Internationale folded in 2005.
Victoria Morgan, Cincinnati Ballet's artistic director, said Caniparoli's "Nutcracker" is "definitely similar to the classic version, but it also gets a little bit into his own narrative ideas." Rather than introduce Drosselmeier, the mysterious toymaker, at young Clara's family's Christmas party, Caniparoli begins in the toymaker's workshop. "He turns a big doll into a little doll," Morgan said.
Sets and costumes were created in Russia, where the "Nutcracker" ballet, complete with Tchaikovsky's famous music, originated.
This production will include the obligatory dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers and mice battling toy soldiers. But there's also an unlikely romance between Marie and her beloved doll, who turns into a prince.
Indianapolis will be the second of three stops for the Cincinnati "Nutcracker." Morgan said it will open Dec. 3 in Detroit, and close in Cincinnati.
I love the Sugarplum Fairy.
You're forgetting we DO have professional ballet in Indianapolis: The Indiana Ballet Company, connected with the Russian Ballet Academy, which has direct ties to the Kirov through many of the staff and faculty. Many of them were employed at Ballet Internationale when it folded. They've stayed here. They staged a couple of productions last year, although it was hard to tell by looking at the local media.
IBC this year has staged an original Phantom of the Opera, and Nutcracker. They've just announced that The Madame Walker Theatre is their new home. The Theatre also announced it's going to expand its stage to accommodate the IBC.
IBC would greatly benefit from not being lumped in with the non-professional productions. With dancers from around the world, many of whom have placed highly in competition, and with an artistic director who has won acclaim on three continents for both her dancing and her choreography, they deserve better.
They also deserve better than to have community leaders giving grants to the Cincinnati Ballet to the tune of four times the Indianapolis Ballet's funding needs, and calling that action "supporting the community". I say this as the parent of one of the child dancers performing the Nutcracker with the Cincinnati Ballet. The students at The Russian Ballet Academy performed with both professional ballet companies. The need for funding for the IBC company was obvious. The dancing and choreography were terrific; the lack of much set material in the second and third acts was dealt with creatively but was still there.
I don't think people realize what a gem the IBC is, with the calibre of everyone involved and their ties to a Russian ballet school that is nearly 300 years old. People from around the country send their kids to board with local families here in Indy so they can study at RBAI. It's that good. The local media could help raise awareness: no member of the media came down to the Murat this week and saw all the Russian Ballet kids and the entire families of musicians arriving for the rehearsals. No one came last week for the IBC rehearsals and performances. These were kids ages 7-12 for the Cincinnati ballet and ages 3-17 for the IBC Nutcracker. Most of the kids were local. Yet almost nothing in the media, both print and broadcast.