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Date/Time: Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:45:24 PM
The Nutcracker
One holiday standby in Rockford is the performance of “The Nutcracker” by the Rockford Dance Company and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra.
The first of two presentations took place Saturday evening at the Coronado Performing Arts Center. The audience was part of the show as parents and grandparents leading excited young ladies in their velvets, tulle and taffeta and young men wearing shirts, ties and dress pants crowded into their seats, waiting for the lights to go down and the magic to begin.
The music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is so familiar to millions in America that it is hard to believe the first U.S. performance was staged in 1944 by the San Francisco Ballet on Christmas Eve, 52 years after its not-so-well-received premiere in St. Petersburg, Russia. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the tradition of holiday performances of “Nutcracker” spread throughout the U.S.
Rockford needs to be reminded how fortunate it is to have a world-class orchestra along with a very fine school of ballet. The orchestra in the pit was a reduced version of the full RSO, but the musicians are seasoned professionals who are quite familiar with the music and follow the direction of Maestro Steve Larsen closely to produce delicate nuances and full swells that give Tchaikovsky’s melodic score the presentation it deserves and inspires the dancers.
The story by E.T.A. Hoffman is filled with dolls — dolls given to the children on Christmas Eve, life-size dolls, a nutcracker doll that turns into a prince and more. For some children, the story could be scary, especially when mice and soldiers battle and are killed. The choreography by Jennifer Weber, who has performed and taught throughout the Midwest, brought out many comedic and lighthearted moments in the ballet so the young viewers in the audience were not too overwhelmed. Indeed, the mice in their delightful costumes were at times timid and other times brave — a nice touch.
The cast of this ballet is huge and includes not only the Rockford Dance Company members, associate members, apprentice members and trainee members, but also all of the students at every level. The dance company members worked hard all evening playing many different roles. Each one played two to three different characters, which meant several quick costume changes. But each time they entered the stage, they looked fresh and full of energy and smiles as they floated in their sparkly tulle and satins.
Special mention goes to Stephen Perez, who handled the role of Clara’s bratty brother perfectly, and Michael Galiano who danced the role of the Harlequin Doll and Arabian Coffee with quiet professionalism. Rachel Seger was a standout as the vivacious Spanish Hot Cocoa. Doug Mark was a delightful Mother Ginger, and all of the gingerbread kiddies had fun with their gymnastics.
The costumes for this production were designed by Julie Seger, an original dance company member. These costumes have been seen in other years, but they seemed fresh for this season. They sparkled, shimmered and glowed in all colors of the rainbow, creating confections and flowers, snowflakes and gingerbread. The colors were enhanced by excellent lighting, which at times heightened the excitement, or added to the serenity of the moment.
Chloe Mesa danced the role of Clara, who witnesses all of the events and the entertainment given by the Sugar Plum Fairy. She was enchanting in the role, never overacting but especially graceful and full of wonder.
The choreography didn’t overtax the youngsters and showed off the depth of talent in the company. Weber decided to have a Mouse Queen, rather than King, meet the Nutcracker Prince in battle. The two guest artists were Carrie Gold from the Minnesota Ballet, who danced the roles of the Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy, and Avram Gold, also with the Minnesota Ballet as well as director of dance for a private school. He danced the roles of the Snow King and Cavalier with wonderful style and fluid motion. His leaps and suspension brought oohs of delight from the audience, and his entrechats and dizzying turns were flawless.
Carrie Gold’s arm and hand movements were grace personified, and her leg extensions were amazing. The two of them danced beautifully together in complete harmony.
The role of Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara’s strange, inventive magician of a godfather, was danced to great effect by George De La Pena, a man with a rich background of performing in dance, theater, movies and television. With his big flowing cape and wild hair, he mesmerized, frightened, and treated the children at the party, and was always Clara’s protector.
Some nondancing roles were featured, including one outrageous ham of an assistant to Herr Drosselmeyer. This character gleaned giggles and laughter as he mugged to the audience, was constantly in trouble with his boss and generally was a nuisance to various women at the party. That cad was none other than the dance company’s executive director, Cindy Jo Lantz, in disguise.
There was one jarring note in the production, which could use some funding to overcome. The rented sets were vague and frankly amateurish in design. The Christmas tree, which is one of the stars of most productions, was kept in the background and was a basically a dud in the growth department. A fine production like this, one that takes a great deal of talent and time to bring to fruition, deserves a rich, inventive set design to take it to a higher level.
Reach Libby Parker at maestros@comcast.net.
Jennifer Weber: Guest Choreographer
Jennifer has been involved in the dance world for over 20 years as an active performer, choreographer and teacher. Ms. Weber has her MFA in Dance with an emphasis in choreography from the University of Iowa. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics, graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. A native of Omaha, Nebraska she has performed extensively across the Midwest dancing with Omaha Theater Company for Young People, Ballet Quad Cities, Ballet Nebraska, Opera Omaha, the Dance Department at the university of Iowa, and other freelance opportunities. She has also performed internationally at the Shizuok Ballet Festival in Japan. She has traveled to Les Ceyes, Haiti to share movement with Haitian orphans. Ms Weber was co-director of Ballet Quad Cities II, a youth performing group, as well as a teacher of ballet, pointe, yoga, pilates and other movement styles for Omaha Theater Company, Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance, Ballet Nebraska, and a variety of professional schools across the country. She has a passion for developing and implementing outreach programs, educating communities about dance, and educating dancers about the unique qualities of their art form. Her choreographic work explores the individual in the dancer. Her work as a performer, choreographer, and teacher strives to find new ways to communicate through dance and to continue to share her passion. Ms. Weber is excited to work with Rockford Dance Company and looks forward to the collaborative effort to create a new Nutcracker.
