Dance Reviews

Dec 13, 2003 - Nevada Ballet Theatre's "Nutcracker" isn't better the second time around

By Jack Neal

There's no doubt about it, Nevada Ballet Theatre's "Nutcracker" is the one "Nutcracker," out of many in the Reno area this season, that comes closest to being a sophisticated rendering of Tchaikovsky's luminous score and intentions.

That, however, doesn't make Nevada Ballet Theatre's second year in Reno (the company is based in Las Vegas) nearly as enchanting as year one.

It's exactly the same production. Sumptuous costumes and sets by Russian designer Alexandre Vassiliev. Tchaikovsky's fabulously lyric music conducted with panache by Asher Raboy and strikingly brought off by members of the Reno Philharmonic. Scads of young dance wannabes from Reno and environs glued somewhat nicely into place by choreographer Bruce Steivel. Handsome lighting by Mike Helms that covers most of the blemishes associated with using props, sets and costumes for several years running. And last but not least, a roster of principal dancers - given Las Vegas's widespread use of classically trained showroom dancers - that is the envy of most major metropolitan areas.

When the company opened with a Saturday matinee (12/13/2003) after three (three!) run-through rehearsals the day before, the zip and the charm of what once was, was overwhelmed by a tired troupe struggling to make it all seem fresh and exciting. The combinations Mr. Steivel used with his principal dancers also made a huge difference. It's a shifting of dancers that can make any given performance quite different, and - perhaps - quite a lot better or quite a lot less enticing.

This year's Snow Queen and Snow King, Lissa Daniggelis and Zeb Nole, do not match the matchless work of last year's Snow Couple, Elena Shokhina and Dereck Townsend. Miss Shokhina does team with Mr. Nole as Sugar Plumb Fairy and Cavalier respectively to reasonably grand effect managing a less than inspired grand pas de deux, but nonetheless an entirely acceptable one. This year Dereck Townsend's extensive talents are minimized in the short-lived (in Mr. Steivel's scheme of things) Nutcracker role. Dmitry Zemskov comes close to bringing some pizzazz to the show's Act II party with a fairly dazzling Russian divertissement (the other divertissements are woefully lackluster). While Chad Holdridge (Toy Soldier) shows promise as an up-and-coming male ballet presence.

What artistic director and choreographer Bruce Steivel is confronted with is trying to use lots of principal dancers in acceptably different ways, while blending in huge numbers of kids drawn from the Reno-Sparks dance school scene. The danger is that the whole thing will smack of dance recitaldom without the mature dancing to make it all seem worth the price of admission. Saturday's matinee (the show I saw) might have been a joy for the moms and dads and grandmoms and granddads watching their posterity dance (or move, as the case may be), but it was pretty uneventful for people who really wanted to experience some top-flight dance.

A nice warm-up, no doubt, for next weekend's stint for the company in Las Vegas, but not much of a thrill for Northern Nevadans wanting something more than cute, but largely out-of-step kids dysfunctioning in collaboration with too many principal dancers doing little more than walk throughs.

'Tis the season to be jolly. That can be hoped for, for another NBT "Nutcracker" outing somewhere down the road. Maybe next year's third year for the company in Reno will bring back more of the charm that made last year's NBT "Nutcracker" something special.

Let's hope.

Nevada Ballet Theatre's presentation of "The Nutcracker" was seen at the Pioneer Center for the Perforing Arts, 100 South Virginia Street, Reno, Saturday, December 13 (2003) at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday, December 14 at 2 p.m. For information call 775-686-6600. NBT's "Nutcracker" can also be seen at the Samba Theatre in Las Vegas the weekend before Christmas. For information call 702-205-5851.