Photo: Wende Alexander Clark
Grand Rapids Ballet Company with the Grand Rapids Symphony
DeVos Performance Hall, Grand Rapids
Dec. 11-13, 17-20, shows at 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 2 p.m.
$20-53
grballet.com
Moscow Ballet
Frauenthal Theater, Muskegon
Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m.
$27.50-99
frauenthal.org
Ballet Arts Ensemble with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
Chenery Auditorium, Kalamazoo
Dec. 12, 2 p.m., 7 p.m.; Dec. 13, 2 p.m.
$10-$18
kalamazoosymphony.com
Ballet Arts Ensemble with the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra
W.K. Kellogg Auditorium, Battle Creek
Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m.
$10-18
balletartsensemble.org
Aside from my family's Christmas polka, which doesn't need to be seen, there is only one classic Christmas dance performance: The Nutcracker. This holiday season, three productions are being performed in West Michigan, each with its own interpretation of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet.
The Grand Rapids Ballet Company is teaming up with the Grand Rapids Symphony to present The Nutcracker for another season. It has been a favorite for 38 seasons, one that audiences have come to expect year after year.
To engage ballet-goers, the Grand Rapids Ballet tries to give its version of the story "a lot of heart," said Associate Artistic Director Laura Berman. "We take the audience through the emotion of the story."
By focusing on the original E.T.A. Hoffmann story, the main character (Clara)'s adventures are not as dark as other versions can be. Instead, the Ballet Company brings out "the humor and magic of Christmas...we add elements and lots of special effects to give a sense of the magical feel of a child's dreams," Berman explains.
The humor will appeal to both children and adults. For example, during the battle scene, a giant mousetrap is used as a weapon, and the smallest mouse leads the charge. Adults will also appreciate the comedic role of Mother Ginger who, in the Ballet Company's version, is often played by a local celebrity who improvs the scene on stage.
"She becomes almost a Mother Goose character," said Berman. "And is often done by men in drag; it's the humor coming in."
New elements are added in each year to keep it exciting. The backstage technicians do almost as much as the dancers, according to Berman, and the lavish sets are changed frequently with the movement and rhythm of the music, provided by the Grand Rapids Symphony.
"It's a wonderful story with wonderful music," Berman said.
If looking for a more whimsical and imaginative interpretation of The Nutcracker, the Moscow Ballet is the one to see. The Great Russian Nutcracker is in its 16th season of touring the U.S. and Canada, doing more than 100 performances every season. As it travels, local children dance alongside ballet stars, like prima ballerina Cristina Terentieva , to support its educational outreach program that teaches "The Arts Can Make a Difference."
The dancers themselves are classically trained in Russian dance and, although precise and calculated, the ballet has been praised for its vibrancy and expressive nature. The Moscow Ballet allows its choreographers and artistic directors to take creative license with the settings in order to keep it interesting and pertinent.
For example, Choreographer Anatoli Emelianov sets Act II in the "Land of Peace and Harmony," instead of the scripted "Land of Enchantment." The Nutcracker, wounded in the battle against the Rat King, is transformed into a handsome prince who is guided with Masha, or Marie, by a dove into a land without war and suffering. Cultural understanding has been a long-standing theme for the Moscow Ballet.
The Kalamazoo-based Ballet Arts Ensemble performs The Nutcracker every other year with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. Of the 128 cast of dancers, 85 are children who play a variety of roles.
"It's filled with action and a lot of characters," said Cathy Huling, the artistic director. "Drosselmeyer is quite mysterious and a little funny at times, while the Rat Queen is quite scary with smoke and special effects."
Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the Ballet Arts Ensemble's Nutcracker is "typically a very children oriented production," Huling said. The interpretation she uses is primarily traditional. The Nutcracker is Clara's protector, "and she loves him as a guardian."
However, contrary to most productions, "Clara is performed by a 10 year old child," said Huling, which is uncommon because the young protagonist is typically a character of central focus and importance.
Other small alterations have been made; the leader of the rats is their Queen, not king. Mother Ginger has also been changed; instead, a candy cane soloist fills her role. "The audience doesn't expect it," said Huling, "and the scene does well as it is." Since 1997 Huling and the Ensemble has been adding to and embellishing the sets, resulting "in a top-notch professional production."
