It was a Nutcracker kind of crowd Saturday afternoon at Uihlien Hall in the Marcus Center. In front of me, a 3-month-old baby peered at me over his mother’s shoulder, eyes wide with the fascination of a new environment. To my left, a three-year-old boy sat on his mother’s lap, well supplied with fruit snacks, occasionally (and quietly) asking questions about the story. At intermission, there were several Halloween’s worth of ballet and dress-up costumes, with enough sequined iridescence to light up several Christmas trees. Pre-tween boys in bowties were not uncommon.
It was all a reminder why ballet companies around the world turn to The Nutcracker every December. And what we saw on stage reminded us why it is worth going to see the Milwaukee Ballet’s version again and again.
As always, the orchestra (here conducted by Pasquale Laurino) sounds lovely. The designs (David Grill’s lights, Zack Brown’s scenery and costumes) are witty and eye-catching. But this production is more than visual and sonic dazzle.
Always the dance storyteller, Michael Pink draws out the poignant narrative of The Nutcracker, emphasizing a sentiment that the bedazzled and bedazzling children probably don’t think about as they watch. But the adults know: Childhood is magical and fleeting.
While E.T.A. Hoffman’s story (adapted—for those keeping score at home–by Alexandre Dumas père) is usually thought of as a tale of a girl’s transition into adulthood (Clara), Pink makes it more universal and more elemental. Here, the focus is Clara (Alana Griffith) and Fritz (Barry Molina), her troublesome brother. They both make the journey to the Land of the Sweets, and rather than sit placidly during the performances, they get into the act, dancing along and transforming from the sniping siblings of Act One into caring and joyful young adults.
It takes nothing away from the much-loved dances of the second act: the snap and spectacle of the Spanish (Annia Hidalgo and Alexandre Ferreira), the elegant contortions of the Arabian (Susan Gartell and Isaac Sharratt), and the nimble leaps of the Chinese (Marc Petrocci). It all, of course, leads up to the thrilling pas de deux. Saturday, it was danced by Luz San Miguel and Arionel Vargas, a guest artist from the English National Ballet. They were elegant and assured, in spite of the challenging showcase of leaps and spins. As the young brother and sister look on, you can feel them stretch toward maturity, putting away childish things and looking to their lives ahead.
And for a few minutes, the little boy next to me stopped asking questions, and watched with wonder.
