Ballet Instructor's Newsletter (12-20-03): American Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker
American Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker
By Shahab Nahvi
If you want to understand the impact of AIDS on American dance after its visible introduction over some twenty years ago into the American culture, all you have to do is go and see the American Ballet Theatre perform Nutcracker. Why? Because those that should have been there, helping to create the next generation of dancers and/or being the next choreographers and/or directors were surely missing. Why should we limit this conversation to just dancers and choreographers? Perhaps we should add the set and costume designers to this list. Last night, I went to see ABT perform the Nutcracker at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, California and the evening would have been a disaster if it were not for the few foreign-trained dancers (principals and soloists) that the company hired.
Why use the Nutcracker performance as an example of the impact of AIDS on the dance community? Because the Nutcracker is performed more regularly than other choreographic works and, hence, should bring the best out of the choreographer, dancers and set and costume designers. Afterall, the Nutcracker brings to the theater the largest amount of regular customers for American ballet companies. In fact, it either breaks or makes some regional dance companies, companies that are not as well funded as the American Ballet Theatre. Therefore, when it does not bring out the best, the problem becomes that much more evident.
Kevin McKenzie’s choreography for the corps de ballet was overall at best shoddy. When my theatre companion asked me what kind of dancer McKenzie was, I commented that he was “reserved.” Well, his choreography can only be described the same way—no surprises or originality.
The company looked, for the most part, third rate. The dancers appeared as though they were using their stage time to warm up and, in fact, as the performance progressed, the dancers’ performance also improved. One might say, “Well, it is just a touring company performing the Nutcracker in California, not New York, its hometown.” But, that is just it—the strength and ability of the company can be measured not at the best possible moment when everything is in place, but at a moment when they are not in their comfort zone. I have to ask myself that if the above is true and the company is not performing at optimum, is it because they think so little of the California audience?
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