The Nutcracker remains an entrancing tradition

Over time, traditions can start to feel eternal. It happened with The Nutcracker: today the play is no less associated with Christmas than the Bethlehem Star, but that wasn't always the case. The ballet, which based its story on "The Mouse and the Nutcracker," a feverish, frightening story by E.T.A. Hoffman, debuted in 1892; critics disliked the costumes, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and even the child actors. Only in the late 1960s did it begin to swell into what we know today: a magical, self-contained world, as recognizable as Oz.

On Saturday, December 14th, Grand Rapids Ballet staged one of nine performances to take place this season, as the Grand Rapids Symphony played Tchaikovsky's familiar music. As always, the company brought spectacle and artistry, delivering on what has become The Nutcracker's promise: to entrance not only those audience members who are seeing a ballet for the first time, but also more experienced members who may have taken in dozens of shows.

Before the show began, Chris Van Allsburg's illustrations peered out at the audience, most promintently that of wizardly Drosselmeyer. Soon the music started, and we watched as presents were distributed and children danced. The kids were adorable, but they were also effective; few adults in the audience could have danced as well, least of all me. 

The effects were terrific: loud bangs, bright lights, "real" snow, and a rapidly growing tree all contributed to an atmosphere of magic. The battle between the Nutcracker Prince and the Mouse King was too short for my taste, but then, it always is, and I imagine it felt longer, maybe scarily so, to the youngest audience members. Some humor, and the triumph of good over evil, helped restore the evening's balance.

Perhaps the finest dancing of the night, or at least my favorite, was between Dream Clara (Yuka Oba-Muschiana) and the Nutcracker Prince (Josue Justiz). As in previous Grand Rapids Ballet productions, they proved themselves experts, moving with precision, grace, and the apparent effortless that speaks to long hours of practice.

The dancing matters; this is, after all, a ballet. The international dances proved a hit with the crowd, none more so than the Russian dancers, who seemed to be having almost as fun as the audience. Alexandra Meister-Upleger, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, moved confidently and well, as she did in her earlier role as the wind-up doll. And Branden Reiners' Cavalier dazzled

A heroic amount of work must go into The Nutcracker. Many audience members won't think about that, nor should they. What they should be thinking about is whether Clara dreamed it all, or, as I suspect, whether the one-eyed old man is more magical than even he lets on. After an evening enhanced by this fine show, it starts to seem like a more than even bet.