Review: The Yorkville Nutcracker

Dances Patrelle returned this holiday season with their 15th anniversary production of The Yorkville Nutcracker. The ballet completed its limited run December 12th at Hunter College's Kaye Playhouse.

As a general rule of thumb, I find it best to review shows with the ticket price in mind. An inexpensive ticket allows more room for experimentation as well as error, while a more pricey ticket carries the expectation of a fine tuned performance. It is unfortunate then, that tickets for the Yorkville Nutcracker range from $45.00- $90.00. For that price parents could take their children to see the original production at Lincoln Center (from a far-away seat perhaps, but still.) This ticket price also takes away any chance that the production could act as a great experience for those who could not afford to take their children to the original version of the show.

One of the Yorkville Nutcracker's main problems is the setting of Hunter's Kaye Playhouse. It is difficult to watch a professional ballet in what feels like a high school auditorium. Women in fur coats seek the bathroom down a hall of classrooms, and candy is sold from behind a folding table- not exactly the fancy holiday ballet experience that many may be seeking.

The program describes the ballet as "an action packed tour of Olde New York's most beloved landmarks, including a holiday party at Gracie mansion, dancing at the Crystal Palace in New York Botanical Garden, and skating in Central Park." The sets are described as "lavish," and while the costumes are quite beautiful with deep colors and glittery designs, the sets are certainly not. Painted backdrops display these flat New York scenes, and it still takes a few minutes to realize what you are looking at. However, this is certainly not the fault of the ballet or the dancers or even the sets; the show is a helpless victim of false advertising, and this unmatched expectation takes something away from the performance.

The dancers themselves are all quite lovely. Most of the soloists do their parts with big smiles and precise movements, with the core dancers gracefully backing them up. The skill level is still less than one would expect from a $90.00 ticket performance, but the dancers do a lovely job with what they are given. Consideration has to be taken that two of Dances Patrelle's missions are to provide a forum by which experienced dancers can share in mentoring younger dancers, and also providing maturing dancers the chance to expand on their art. These ideals are a wonderful thing to see in a community run by extreme competition and these values can clearly be seen in The Nutcracker. The dancers range in skill and age, and their steady tallent climbs are tracked on boards in the lobby. 

There are some odd moments that have been tossed into the show as what I can only assume are meant to be jokes, as well as some major audience pandering in the form of small children marched onto the stage (greeted by clapping every time.) Aside from these moments the general feel of the show sticks to the same story- the girl taken away into a dreamland of fairies and toys and dancing. The music is, as always, lovely and perfect for the holidays, getting better and better every year you hear it played.

All in all I would probably advise to seek your Nutcracker fix elsewhere this holiday season, while still believing that many of these young dancers will go on to much bigger and better things.

 

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