Thursday, December 5, 1996
DANCE:
Fairy tale of love and familial ties always a favorite, no
matter which flavor chosenBy Amanda Miller
Daily Bruin Contributor
Ballet? Classical music? If just the mention of these words
evokes a yawn, wake up! The spectacular magic of this season’s "The
Nutcracker" productions deserves more than a bah-humbug.
In "The Nutcracker," dancers move to a captivating musical score
by Tchaikovsky. Together they tell the familiar story of a little
girl named Clara and her Christmas adventure with the Sugar Plum
Fairy, the Snow Queen and King, the Butterfly and an array of other
characters.
This season, several productions of "The Nutcracker" dance
through the Los Angeles area. The San Francisco Ballet, the oldest
professional ballet company in the United States, has brought its
long tradition down south. The Los Angeles Classical Ballet
emphasizes spectacular technology and illusions to grab the
attention of its L.A. audience. "The Harlem Nutcracker" adds a
unique twist to the story, aiming to create a truly American
"Nutcracker," set in the legendary era of the Harlem Renaissance
during the 1930s.
For many, "The Nutcracker" ranks among Santa, Christmas trees,
carols, and gift-giving as an integral part of the holiday season.
But it hasn’t always been that way.
In fact, although first produced in Europe in 1882, the
"Nutcracker" was never produced in its entirety in the U.S. until
1944. Budgeted during World War II at only $1,000, the first
"Nutcracker" premiered on Christmas Eve, produced by the San
Francisco Ballet.
This year, the San Francisco Ballet’s "Nutcracker," has a cast
of 177 dancers recruited from dance students in the Bay area.
Showing at the Pasadena Civic Center, the San Francisco Ballet
portrays a beautiful, old-fashioned type of Christmas, says Anita
Pachote, current ballet mistress for the San Francisco Ballet.
Pachote has been with the San Francisco Ballet company since
1968. Building upon a long ballet career, Pachote has had numerous
leading and character roles. In this year’s "Nutcracker" she is
dancing as Clara’s mother. As ballet mistress, Pachote rehearses
the dancers, with particular responsibility for the children.
"They are very enthusiastic but hard workers. It’s an amazing
experience for all of us involved; we are transformed, for it is a
very thorough production," Pachote says.
The San Francisco Ballet uses impressive special effects;
however they are less integral to the ballet than those of the Los
Angeles Classical Ballet. Pachote appreciates the special effects,
such as a growing 28-foot Christmas tree and visions of dancing
sugar plums. But she emphasizes, "Much of it is still just a guy
standing behind a curtain pulling a rope. A lot of tradition
remains within the technique in which things are done. I love to
see how much of the tradition hasn’t changed."
Still, Pachote asserts that when it comes to tradition and "The
Nutcracker," she "isn’t a snob about it." She approves of
entertaining variations on Tchaikovsky’s original. ‘The Nutcracker’
offers something for everybody," she asserts.
Though not as well-established as the San Francisco Ballet, the
Los Angeles Classical Ballet is nevertheless launching a dramatic
production of "The Nutcracker" this holiday season.
The Los Angeles Classical Ballet was founded 14 years ago by
David Wilcox, the choreographer of the company’s "Nutcracker." To
be presented first at the Terrace Theater and later at the Shrine
Auditorium, this ballet has a cast of more than 1,600 dancers,
including 40 world class professional dancers.
"The basic story line is simple, without psychological
undertones. It’s like a fairy tale. We take the story straight from
Tchaikovsky, we don’t take anything out or put other pieces of
music in. Still, it is an elaborate and huge spectacle," Wilcox
says.
Wilcox emphasizes that no expense is spared with their
production. For the international dances, the company goes to great
extents to be authentic and impressive in every way. Two dancers in
the Russian dance were brought over from Moscow at a cost of
$25,000. Former Disney Studio designer Elliot Hessayon designed the
extravagant set. And, according to Wilcox, the growing tree,
pyrotechnics, illusions, magic tricks, 60-piece orchestra and live
Andalusian mare attached to a flying sleigh succeed in leaving the
audience in awe.
"I take it as far as I possibly can keeping to the story,"
Wilcox says. "We have the technology to do things today that we
couldn’t do a hundred years ago when the score was written. Why not
take advantage of it?"
Wilcox recognizes that his show- business approach may not
appeal to everyone. "I have been criticized by other ballet
companies in the past for being too commercial. But the audience
leaves thinking ‘I had no idea that ballet could be so enjoyable.’
That’s my goal."
"The Harlem Nutcracker," performed by Donald Byrd/The Group,
offers an even more unique interpretation of the holiday classic.
Donald Byrd, the ballet’s choreographer, is regarded by many as the
most promising African-American choreographer of his generation. He
wanted to create a uniquely American "Nutcracker" instead of a
European "Nutcracker," particularly one that speaks to people of
color.
The new version occurs in a Harlem dance club rather than a
European parlor and combines Duke Ellington’s jazz arrangement of
Tchaikovsky’s score with other pieces to accompany a nontraditional
blend of classical ballet with jazz and street dance.
"The Harlem Nutcracker" follows one woman’s life. She grew up
and raised a family in Harlem in the ’20s and ’30s. "In a sense,
the ‘Nutcracker’ becomes the story of the Harlem community and all
the changes it has gone through, the story of the lives of
African-Americans in this country," Leiberman comments.
Although it may stray from the norm, "The Harlem Nutcracker"
preserves the feeling of the original.
"It is still a very lush, big production, on the scale of a
Broadway show in terms of the sets, the live orchestra and the
costuming.
"And no matter what you do, the underlying values of ‘The
Nutcracker’ remain the same. The celebration of family, and
tradition and love holds true for ‘The Harlem Nutcracker’ and are
essential to the holiday season," Leiberman says.
DANCE: The San Francisco Ballet production plays at the Pasadena
Civic Center Dec. 12-24. Ticket prices range from $21 to $61, For
ticket information call (818) 449-7360. The Los Angeles Classical
Ballet performs at the Terrace Theater Dec. 7-15 and the Shrine
Auditorium Dec. 20-22. Tickets are $16 to $42. For information call
(310) 427-5206. Donald Byrd/The Group presents "The Harlem
Nutcracker" at the Wiltern Theater Dec. 27-29. Tickets are $35, $11
for students with ID.
Los Angeles Classical Ballet
The San Francisco Ballet performs "The
Nutcracker."