The Chamberlain School of Ballet performed the Nutcracker elegantly over the Thanksgiving weekend at the Eisemann Center.
The Nutcracker is a story written in 1816 by E.T.A Hoffman about a young girl, Clairea Stahlbaum’s favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, coming to life in her dream. He defeats the evil mouse king in battle and then whisks her away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls.
The ballet was executed beautifully by the dancers who never missed a beat. They told the story precisely and accurately with their performance.
The background and the props were nicely crafted and realistic. It added to the effect that the audience was a part of the scenes. There was a cardboard tree that was used as a prop in this scene was well painted, and rose without a hitch when the time came. Even though it was a 2D surface, it enhanced the production by adding sense of depth.
Additionally, the lighting crew did an excellent job using the lights to guide the story along and to set the tone of the different aspects of the show. The most magical thing they were able to do was dropping fake snow from the ceiling while shining blue and purple lights through it in Act I. It made the dancers appear to actually be in real snow and it created a sense of awe and wonderment that Clairea felt in her dream to the audience.
Particularly, the costumes were elegant in every scene. The costumes were especially marvelous for the Kingdom of Sweets. The vivid colors and shimmering sparkles illuminated the dancers and enhanced the characters that they played, and, at times, made them look like they were floating, gliding and shinning.
All the dancers did a fabulous job. It was evident that they have worked long and hard to do their absolute best in their production. They made their dance moves look flawless and easy to do.
Kathy Chamberlain also had two special guest artists from New York. Dancers Tiler Peck, who played the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Tyler Angle, who played the Cavalier, came to dance in the ballet. They danced with fluidity and strength when their parts came. It was incredible to witness the professionalism in the advanced way they danced. It gave a glimpse to the audience, mostly consisted of the performers’ parents, of what their kids could easily become in the future.
The ballet was spectacularly done, well rehearsed and, overall, a great performance of the traditional Nutcracker. This holiday classic was definitely worth seeing.