A Christmas Tradition

Anna and I took each other to see The Nutcracker tonight for Christmas. I hadn't seen it in a really long time but am very familiar with the ballet and story. I had seen it performed in Oakville by a friends dance company a few times and done at The Sanderson Centre in Brantford as well, probably by The National Ballet Company. I even danced in it one year, I was a little clown that runs out of the skirt. I have also read children's books of the story and seen cartoon versions on TV. Up until this show they had all been very consistent. The choreography was often different but the story always the same. The version we saw tonight was a little different than what I'm used to, which turns out to be the 1954 Balanchine ballet. The Winnipeg National Ballet Company used instead the American Ballet Theatre version by Baryshnikov which premiered in 1976. Baryshnikov omits the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince Orgeat, and gives their dances to Clara and the Nutcracker/Prince; so that in his version, the two do not merely sit out most of the entire second act as they do in other productions (notably Balanchine's). In addition, although the Mother Ginger and her Clowns music is heard, we never see Mother Ginger herself. The one Anna always saw in Halifax actually had Clara as an orphan at a boarding school and a friendly janitor as the Nutcracker Prince. It just goes to show that holiday classics can contain a myriad of versions and interpretations making it impossible to determine what is traditional. The production we saw tonight was incredible. It was a fantastic performance.