Last night I had the pleasure of taking Tara to see the Goh Ballet’s Nutcracker at the Centre. She had no clue what to expect apart from the fact that I told her she would recognize the music and ballet dancing from her Barbie DVD’s. She was very excited by all the pomp and the choir singing beforehand and how lovely the Director of the Ballet, Chan Hon Goh looked in her evening gown. When the lights dimmed and the dancers began to appear walking down the aisles, she was hooked.
I haven’t been to a live production of The Nutcracker in years and have forgotten how amazingly beautiful ballet looks when live and right in front of you. This production is simply magical. From the breathtaking set and costumes designed by Dinghao Zhang and Ming Li, to the amazing Vancouver Opera Orchestra who were flawless and incredible, to the myriad of dancers of all ages, the show is beautiful.
Other people may disagree with me, but I think what sets this production apart from those ‘others’ is that show felt very Vancouver to me. I don’t think another ballet could have been as multicultural and inclusive as this one is. The dancers of all ages were obviously hired based on their talent and fit for their roles vs were they the right shape, size or colour. Goh Ballet hosts open auditions every May for this production and so it is a showcase for the dancing talent we have here in town. And what a talent.
I had a brief chat this week with Chan Hon Goh about this production (this is their 6th year) and the academy itself are an integral part of Vancouver dance and have been since 1978. The dancers of the Goh Ballet have been recognized globally for their talent and that respect is there when their Nutcracker production attracts the high profile talent that is here for the 2014 run.
I had mentioned that the global aspect of the production seemed fitting for the story of the Nutcracker (especially Act 2) and I asked if she felt she was almost modernizing the story or if she felt aware that they were ‘adding’ to the story and she sort of agreed with me and was also happy that I recognized the global and multicultural flavor of the production that by no means takes away from this classic Christmas tale.
The guest performers at this years show will take your breath away.
Chuanya Yu is a Principal Dancer at the Liaoning Ballet in China. She debuts here as the Snow Queen. Joining her is Principal Dancer Haidong Zhang. They were pure magic together. Tara went STILL in my arms watching them.
Equally mesmerizing are the dancers from the Beijing Dance Academy who will take your breathe away with their ‘Arabian’ piece.
Principal Dancer Paloma Herrera from the American Ballet Theatre is the vision of what we all imagine a prima ballerina to look like and she makes a lovely Sugar Plum Fairy especially paired with Dmitri Dovgoselets from Kiev. He is the perfect Cavalier Prince.
This is a top notch show and a magical addition to your Christmas entertainment. The show runs until the 22nd if you want to still catch it. It is family friendly IF you have kids that already love dance and music and respect live performances. It was a long and late night for my 5 year old and she was flagging as the show didn’t wind up until close to ten. I would also recommend NOT sitting in the lower orchestra if you have small kids as the slope is minimal at The Centre and there was much bending and neck craning (and lap sitting) to take in the show.
The Nutcracker is at The Centre at 777 Homer St. (Across from the VPL), and runs to the 22nd. Ticket prices range from $28.00 to $83.25 and are available throughTicketmaster, by calling 1-855-985-2787 or by visiting gohnutcracker.com
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