The Nutcracker

Ballet Theatre UK

Arlington Arts, Newbury

By David Bellan

The Oxford Times

This hard-working small touring company was formed last year, and made its debut at this theatre, where last week they gave four performances of their excellent, small-scale production of The Nutcracker.  

They are a likeable lot, but the stand-out performance was Sam Bishop’s Drosselmeyer. He seems to have a very close relationship with Clara’s mother (no sign of a father), and, after a rather formal start, his character leaps to life in an engaging performance in which he is an attractive young man, rather than the doddering eccentric of so many productions.

He can dance well, too, as we saw in his many solos, and in his other roles, most notably in the Russian Dance. The object of his affections, Clara’s mum, is danced by Maria Engel, who defines the character clearly, and has a lot to do elsewhere. I particularly enjoyed her Arabian Dance, where she was well-partnered by Diarmaid O’Meara. They made a glamorous pair.

Amy Coughlan is also a fine dancer with a clear, long line. She makes an excellent Clara, acting and miming so that every nuance is clear. Her Nutcracker Prince was Christopher James dances well. I very much like the battle with the Rat King,

with Pere Bodi Perez in an impressive costume, and with gutsy Clara doing a lot of the fighting herself. Kazuka Oike made quite a character of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

This is a traditional version of The Nutcracker, with limited forces used to excellent effect to provide an enjoyable evening.

The company will be at the Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes, on December 10 and the Kenton Theatre, Henley, the next night.

The Nutcracker
Ballet Theatre UK
Sevenoaks

By Ballet News

International Dance Blog

So it is with Ballet Theatre UK’s new version of The Nutcracker, the quintessential Christmas ballet based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

As the UK’s newest ballet company, and given that it’s probably the most performed ballet in the world (first staged in London in 1934), director and choreographer Christopher Moore has worked wonders to bring this tale up to date with modern sets and costumes. There are two alternating casts of ten dancers, meaning that they all work double time with the costume changes and Moore has choreographed the ballet to suit his Company. It’s an exciting prospect – new choreography in a classical full-length narrative ballet – and you’ll be pleased to know that there is more in the pipeline.

The scene unfolds one evening where a mother and her daughter Clara (Megan Wood), are hosting a party. Danced with great characterization, warmth and grace by Maria Engel, the mother is busy in her role as hostess, making sure all of the guests are happy, as you would.

One of the guests is Clara’s uncle Drosselmeyer, who presents her with a Nutcracker doll. Pere Bodi Perez has the nimble footwork and magical aura needed to capture the guests’ attention when he introduces two dolls – Columbine and the Harlequin doll, brought to life brilliantly by Natalie Cawte and Diarmaid O’Meara.

As Clara tiptoes wide-eyed down the stairs at midnight to fetch her Nutcracker, Drosselmeyer is waiting for her. He sends her off on a journey where she battles the Rat King & is rewarded for her bravery when her doll turns into a handsome Prince.

The handsome Prince, (Diarmaid O’Meara), whisks Clara away to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of the Sweets, where they find the Sugar Plum Fairy (Maria Engel).

Tchaikovsky's “Valse des Flacons de Neige” – the Waltz of the Snowflakes, begins with curling, cascading music, much like the snowflakes themselves. Danced by Maria Engel, Alexandra Fern, Natalie Cawte and Amy Coughlan in beautiful costumes designed b Moore (as are all the costumes), the Snowflakes are joined by Kazuka Oike in a dazzling white and silver tutu and waltz in perfect time to a glittering backdrop.

Reaching the Kingdom of Sweets, Engel, as The Sugar Plum Fairy, shimmers and glides, delicately picking through the music. O’Meara gave a clear and impassioned rendition of the mime sequence, all hand gestures, where he describes their adventures to the Sugar Plum Fairy, who presents him with a medal. Clara receives a diamond necklace and the pair is invited by the Sugar Plum Fairy to take part in a celebration, where she will dance in their honour.

The divertissements which follow are great fun and also relate to gifts of hot chocolate, coffee, tea & candy canes from their relevant country.

In terms of technique in the Spanish dance, I couldn’t tell Alexandra Fern apart from Royal Ballet Principal dancer Laura Morera, so sharp was her footwork & characterization. Plenty of swirling skirts and imagined castanets, ably partnered by Sam Bishop. Coughlan and Perez had good timing throughout.

Natalie Cawte hasn’t put a foot wrong wherever I’ve seen the Company, and in the Arabian dance she had a sinuous technique with charisma and joie de vivre to spare. Her use of space is excellent and she has a strong technique, visible not only in her slow, controlled drop into the splits, unsupported, but also in the lifts, walking over her partner Chris James’ thigh to sit on his shoulder; she was a joy to watch. It’s a tough dance on the back, but you wouldn’t have known as both brought out the full flavour of the piece.

The Russian dance, or Trepak (a bravura traditional Ukrainian folk dance in 2/4 time) is played in a presto tempo with deep squats and split leaps, and is performed exclusively by men. It’s a testing feat where Perez and Bishop did themselves proud, and with O’Meara in the mix you have three Cossack dancers ready to raise the roof. Bishop in particular looked to be thoroughly enjoying himself; it was infectious. The ending, when Clara jumps sideways into all three pairs of hands was done at speed and with great panache.

Oike lights up the stage with her beaming smile and fills the space with delicate balances and jumps.

The music you know so well from the Fruit & Nut adverts, the Dance of the Mirlitons, fills the air and Cawte & Coughlan appear in Broadway top hats, pink gloves and stripy tutus. Wood, as Clara, joins in and all three had great timing and some really sassy moves. Special mention has to go again to Cawte for her sharpness and great hand shaping.

Fern and Bishop danced the Polichinelle (Clown) variation with great aplomb, in deep blue costumes, he with a snazzy multi-coloured belt, she with flowers in her hair and fun on her mind. Her fouettés were spot on and both were sharp.

The Sugar Plum Fairy hands Clara a quite giant rose, signalling the start of the Waltz of the Flowers. In sparkling pink tutus, Oike, Coughlan and Cawte swirled their way through the music; Cawte looked especially to be enjoying herself, with strong balances. Partnered by Perez, Bishop and James, waltzing in a circle might have even the celebrities on Strictly Come Dancing in a spin but they held together well.

 No matter how much fun you’ve had so far, The Nutcracker stands or falls with the famously tricky Intrada, variations and central pas de deux of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince. Here Engel tones down her inner hostess and is serene & regal, stroking the floor with her feet; perfectly matched by O’Meara who has long elegant lines especially in his first solo.

In an already difficult solo, The Sugar Plum Fairy dances a series of Gargouillades, essentially a pas de chat variation with a double ronde de jambe on each foot. It takes a brilliant technician to get this step right especially on the closing leg, and I’ve not seen it danced this well before. Engel turns well and has beautiful soft feet, but don’t think Sugar Plum gets all the limelight; where would she be without her Prince, and O’Meara’s jumps are high & plush with lovely soft landings.

O’Meara and Engel both have beautiful phrasing on their own, but together their phrasing becomes a conversation in the central pas de deux and it’s one that the audience want to hear. This section was labelled by Tchaikovsky as “Andante maestoso”, or “flowing majestically”, and with these two, it does. O’Meara’s exemplary partnering skills are evident in his effortless high lifts, Engel sitting on one shoulder, and into the swooping fish dives so characteristic of this dance. The final fish dive was marvellous.