In The Land of Snow and Dreams – The Nutcracker Suite Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link: http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/classic/vegas/ballet/nut/nut.htmll
It's a population boom! The Nevada Ballet Theater is growing in size and prestige - and like any growing population, it contains a lot of children. Like a glass of BVisit The Nevada Ballet Theatereaujolais Nouveau, this dance company isn't old and complex, but instead young and fresh. It is aging nicely, however, as this year's performance at
Rio Hotel and Casino's Samba Theater showed.
"The Nutcracker" ballet premiered in Moscow in 1892 and was based on a delightful Christmas tale by E.T.A. Hoffman. Peter Tchaikovsky was commissioned to create musical score, and boy, did he score! The composer reportedly considered his ballet suite rather pedestrian, throw-away pop fluff, but audiences loved it. (For more information on this strange, troubled genius visit: www.tchaikovsky.host.sk/index.htm.) Do you suppose future generations will consider music by Backstreet Boys to be priceless classics?
Okay, on to happier thoughts. The story takes place in a nineteenth-century European country mansion. The well-heeled guests and their many children arrive for a lavish party of dancing and gifts. The hosts' daughter Clara receives a wooden nutcracker doll in form of a toy soldier from her godfather Drosselmeyer. Clara's jealous brother Fritz takes doll from her and carelessly breaks it, little rat. Drosselmeyer fixes it and also presents two life-sized dancing dolls to entertain crowd.
After party, Clara has a fantastic dream in which doll comes to life as a prince and defeats an army of little rats led by Mouse King (who fortunately bears no resemblance to Fritz. Evidently Clara is forgiving type.) The prince then takes Clara and Fritz on a magical journey through Land of Snow and Land of Sweets to meet Sugarplum Fairy. Why can't I have such dreams? (A fuller description of story, with music samples, is available at www.nutcrackerballet.net.)
Remember being a kid? Everything seemed so much bigger, especially in dreams (such as monster under bed, who doesn't seem so big now). Clara's dream really begins when Christmas tree suddenly grows to a tremendous height. This is true magic of this enduring holiday classic: it draws us into child's mind and reminds us how to make believe.
The Nevada Ballet Theater has many dancers, from middle-aged adults to children no older than five. Two eleven-year-olds, Monica Moazez and Rebecca Swain, alternate in role of Clara and are more realistic than anorexic Russian woman I saw in classic televised Baryshnikov performance. Clara's brother Fritz is played alternately by Aaron Sampson, 8, and Cameron Findley, 11. All are students at Academy of Nevada Ballet Theater. These principals are a treat to watch, but really all children are. Their dancing isn't acrobatic or polished, but their spunky movements and lively facial expressions make experience as fun as watching your own kids' Christmas play. (If you just thought, "That's not fun!" - shame on you, Ebenezer.)
