The American Contemporary Ballet, or ACB, stuns audiences in its immersive production of “The Nutcracker Suite.” From the venue and the costuming to the music and the choreography, every choice in ACB’s “The Nutcracker Suite” felt tastefully intentional — all contributing to a vision of a miniature ballet.
(Warning: mild spoilers ahead.)
Stepping into a short white hallway, my first reaction was confusion. The venue was somewhat of a liminal space, with bright white office lights, red telephones and nothing hinting that the show was supposed to be a holiday classic, albeit a reinvented one. This, along with audience members standing around as if they knew something I didn’t, was quite unsettling. Most confusing of all, the stage was nowhere to be found.
The strangeness of it all gave way to the realization that this was all part of the show. There was no music or dancing yet, but the performance had already begun the moment I walked into the confining space. Soon, the iconic “Nutcracker Overture” began to play as the booming voice of the emcee led us into a hidden door, splitting off into two different directions. We found ourselves attending a lavish dinner party as a small ensemble played Tchaikovsky’s music from Act 1 of “The Nutcracker,” complete with refreshments and entertainers. The audience was the show.
ACB’s tiny venue works in favor of its production of “The Nutcracker Suite.” The stage is set up so that the dancers are level with the audience, with chairs going right up to the edge of the dance floor. It is rare to see such up-close and intimate staging in the world of ballet. At first, I was skeptical of the format: it doesn’t give the audience a full picture of the entire stage without having to turn heads, and quite honestly, seemed reminiscent of a juvenile recital. However, my initial skepticism was quickly dashed. The intimate environment was fitting for a dinner party. The traditional premise of the second act of “The Nutcracker” is that the dolls from the dinner party come to life in Clara’s dream. If we as the audience are the party guests and we are watching dolls come to life, it helps that the dancers aren’t so far away.
While Act 1 was played out by audience interaction, Act 2 was the anthology of variations that were listed on the program. Before each variation, the dancers passed out sweet treats to audience members that were on theme with the next variation. By the end of the show, I had consumed ice cream, a candy cane and ginger snap cookies. This was something that I had not seen before in a ballet, or in any show, and was quite the delightful surprise.
Virtuosity was not the aim of ACB director Lincoln Jones’ choreography; rather, it was creating the character of each individual doll that truly shone through, while still holding elements of the iconic classic choreography. The dancers are evidently trained in the Balanchine style — the American counterpart to classical Russian technique with an emphasis on athleticism and movement as opposed to strict lines— as expected of a contemporary ballet company. Much of the legwork was done at a modest 45 degrees as opposed to the standard 90; the choice to choreograph in tight angles further added to the intimate tone of the production by invoking a sense of enclosure, supporting the miniature theme. Through its untraditional choreography and costuming, all variations possessed a doll-like quality, adding to the idea that the performers are dolls come to life.
To accompany the dancing, ACB presented a mini arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite” for string quartet, piano, clarinet, flute and two voices. The nine-person orchestration furthered the intimate atmosphere of the production and the choice to incorporate live music added to the immersion, as I distinctly remember having to take a moment to catch my breath after the cello solo in the Grand Pas de Deux. For a suite written for the full orchestra, this arrangement is successful in bringing Tchaikovsky’s music to the miniature stage.
ACB’s “The Nutcracker Suite” was far from the traditional Nutcracker ballet experience. The highlight was not just in the dancing, but in the immersive experience itself. Every choice in the production felt intentional to bring the miniature world of “The Nutcracker” to life. With ACB, everyone can become Drosselmeyer’s and Clara’s, invoking a rare sense of childlike wonder in its audience. ACB’s “The Nutcracker Suite” deserves praise for not only keeping the Nutcracker spirit alive, but also for taking “The Nutcracker” to the audience and making the holiday magic come true.
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Featured Image Courtesy of Anastasia Petukhova
