Preview
THE NUTCRACKER
Alberta Ballet and Ballet British Columbia
Choreographed by Mikko Nissinen
Music by Tchaikovsky
Runs December 17 to 21
Jubilee Auditorium
Although Alberta Ballet is losing its regular venues next year with the temporary closure of the Jubilee Auditoriums in Calgary and Edmonton for renovations, artistic director Jean Grand-Maître remains relatively calm – due in part to sympathetic funding bodies and reliable sponsors who won’t bail despite the ballet’s move to smaller theatres.
Shuffling negotiations with his work on this year’s production of The Nutcracker, Grand-Maître is thankful that the ballet has been consulted on the Jubilee’s plans, and hopeful the renovations will better accommodate his dancers. And, while the money-making Nutcracker won’t be staged in Alberta next December because of the closures (it will still tour to Vancouver, Victoria and Spokane), he’s pleased to be able to use two state-of-the-art venues, Calgary’s Vertigo Playhouse theatre and Edmonton’s Timms Centre for the Arts, for the season’s other productions – even if those spaces aren’t as big as the two Jubilees.
"We’re calling it the ‘up close and personal’ year," says Grand-Maître with a laugh. "It’s been very difficult – a major challenge for everyone. But the closer you get to ballet, the better it becomes, and I think these new theatres may not only generate new audiences, but provide possibilities for productions (there) in the future."
The move to temporary digs isn’t the only big piece of news for Alberta Ballet these days. The company has been selected to perform in China as Canada’s representative at Beijing’s prestigious first international dance festival this January. The ballet will perform Grand-Maître’s version of Carmen, which made its debut last season, and three other works, including the world première of a new piece by company member Sabrina Christine Matthews. Alberta Ballet will be performing alongside companies from Asia, Europe and Russia, and Grand-Maître is thrilled his company will be one of the few to mount both classical and contemporary works.
Although Alberta Ballet has performed in China before – with a 1998 tour of rural communities that included a much-appreciated flood-relief benefit in Wuhan – Grand-Maître says the invitation came out of the blue.
"But it’s an amazing opportunity and recognition for us, and the company has a lot to look forward to after The Nutcracker," he adds.
Until then, however, the ballet is preoccupied with its annual holiday tradition. For a fourth year now, the company has teamed up with Ballet British Columbia to co-produce and tour the classic family show to Vancouver and Spokane as well as Calgary and Edmonton. Having to organize four revolving casts, five different orchestras and close to 50 children from various ballet schools, Grand-Maître is not far removed from The Nutcracker’s own magician, Herr Drosselmeyer.
"It’s such a great production for the kids and actually a very challenging piece for dancers," he says. "And it’s nice to have four casts performing – it literally keeps everyone on their toes when they play different roles."
One would suspect that The Nutcracker, like other traditional Christmas shows, has more appeal to audiences than to the company that stages it year after year. Untrue, says Grand-Maître – the production is highly interpretive, with greater demands on performers.
"I don’t think even A Christmas Carol or The Messiah can compete with the popularity of this ballet," he says. "At least in North America, where it’s become a phenomenon. Of course, they’re all revenue generating and great for audience development for us. But there are a lot of children coming for the first time to these events and it makes it all that much more important for the dancers to be challenged and technically proficient."
Admittedly inspired by The Nutcracker of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, former Montrealer Grand-Maître attributes much of the ballet’s success to Tchaikovsky’s music and favours a traditional interpretation of its live toys, snowy kingdoms and Sugar Plum Fairy.
"The main objective is to choreograph that beautiful, symphonic music and have a production that will be visually wonderful for the children," he says. "We tend to stick to tradition, but I really think it’s best served that way." |
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