United Kingdom English National Ballet’s Nutcracker: Dancers of English National Ballet, English National Ballet Philharmonic / Daniel Richardson (guest conductor). London Coliseum, 14.12.2023. (JO’D)
Creatives:
Concept and Choreography – Wayne Eagling
Concept – Toer van Schayk
Music – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Design – Peter Farmer
Lighting – David Richardson
Cast included:
Clara – Sangeun Lee
Nephew – Gareth Haw
Nutcracker – Junor Souza
Drosselmeyer – Fabian Reimair
Mouse King – James Streeter
First Soloists, Soloists, Junior Soloists, First Artists, Artists of the Company of English National Ballet, Students from Tring Park School for the Performing Arts.
Since its premiere in 2010, English National Ballet’s Nutcracker has evolved as times, and the company’s Artistic Directors, have changed. This year sees the first performance of the ballet under the leadership of the recently appointed Artistic Director, Aaron S. Watkin. The Russian dance becomes the Cossack dance. The Arabian dance returns, eviscerated, after a year’s absence. Most significantly of all, there seems to be an awful lot more going on during the Act I children’s party scene.
Like the townspeople in the background to Act I of Caros Acosta’s production of Don Quixote for The Royal Ballet, the party guests are forever moving, or pointing at something. Two of the fathers have a prolonged fight. The effect is to distract from the dance taking place centre stage. Dance which itself often looks ‘fussier’ than before: it is not only Grandmother, this year, who cannot follow the steps; a second guest makes her uncertainty about what to do obvious. The American dance writer, Edwin Denby, defined the atmosphere of the Act I party as ‘fractious’. This production may now be taking it too far. It may be a reflection of the times.
For this opening night, Clara and Nephew are danced by Lead Principal, Sangeun Lee, and First Soloist, Gareth Haw. Both joined ENB this year (as did Aaron S. Watkin) from Semperoper Ballett Dresden. Tall and strong, Sangeun Lee is less well-suited to the childlike wonder, childlike fear that Clara has to express during the battle of the mice and soldiers than she is to the complex choreography of the Grand Pas de Deux, the fouetté above all. From the moment, early on, he reaches down to pick up Drosselmeyer’s cane, Gareth Haw presents an elegance of line. Effort shows, momentarily, in a difficult lift during the Grand Pas de Deux, but in his variation he appears to control the music – responsively played by the English National Ballet Philharmonic under Guest Conductor, Daniel Richardson – with the movement of a leg.
The Nutcracker is Junor Souza, himself a memorable Nephew, in 2016, to Begoña Cao’s Clara. James Streeter returns as Mouse King (he was the first; he is the best), Fabian Reimair is the familiar Drosselmeyer. A serene Emily Suzuki and Julia Conway lead the Snowflakes in a calm, clear dance which comes as a relief, this year, after the frantic activity of the preceding party and battle.
The Spanish dance is performed with brio. The Arabian dance, rechoreographed for four female dancers in harem pants and veils, is effective enough (and its restored music welcome). It is a pity, though, that all the references to Nijinsky, to the male dancer, have had to be lost. Carolyne Galvao in the Chinese dance; Erik Woolhouse in the Cossack; Julia Conway as a softly dancing Mirliton; a radiant Ivana Bueno and Chloe Keneally, partnered by Ken Saruhashi and Lorenzo Trossello, as Lead Flowers in a Waltz of the Flowers that ‘melts’ the hearts of the audience: despite its altered tone at the beginning, this year’s Nutcracker does not disappoint, is no less magical, in and at the end.
John O’Dwyer