‘Nutcracker’ Has Familiar Feel

Anyone who has seen Alberta Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” shouldn’t be surprised by the production this year.

The classic Christmas ballet, sponsored by the Spokane Symphony, will open with the traditional party scene. The famed Nutcracker Prince appears first as a present to Clara from the magician Drosselmeyer, and after everyone retires for the night, the Prince comes to life.

There will be a bevy of fighting rats and eventually Clara is escorted to the Land of Snow and Kingdom of Magic.

While the production, which opens a four-day run at the Spokane Opera House tonight, includes more than 60 local children in roles ranging from Clara to the little mice to lambs, the second half of the production showcases the professional dancers.

While virtually all of the Alberta Ballet dancers have performed in “The Nutcracker,” it hasn’t necessarily been this “Nutcracker.” Each dance troupe stages its own version of the ballet; some remain fairly true to the E.T.A. Hoffmann story, others depart radically. The Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle stages a dark Maurice Sendak version.

Alberta Ballet premiered an updated version of “The Nutcracker,” choreographed by artistic director Ali Pourfarrokh, in 1995. For the sake of consistency, the ballet was videotaped and it’s the responsibility of the ballet mistress to watch the tape each fall and teach the dancers the steps, the positions and the movements of Alberta Ballet’s “Nutcracker.”

“We actually videotape the production every year. That way the basic structure is the same but the choreographer may want to improve or add a nuance,” said Leslie McBeth, the company’s ballet mistress, during a phone interview early this week.

“I study the individual dancers every day and I can really fine tune them and bring out the best of the aesthetic in the dance,” she said.

A tape of the ballet is also sent to the conductor of the orchestra which will perform with the dance troupe, in this case, Jung-Ho Pak, who will conduct the Spokane Symphony. The ballet mistress attends a rehearsal of the orchestra and works with the conductor to ensure the tempo of the music will be appropriate to the dancers’ steps. “I assume (Pak) has been using the audiotape we sent to give him a ballpark idea of what our tempo will be,” McBeth said.

All fall, the local children who will be dancing in the production have been rehearsing under the guidance of Peggy Goodner, who also had a copy of “The Nutcracker” videotape.

“We are so fortunate to have assistants like Peggy Goodner,” McBeth said. “If these assistants weren’t brilliant, we would be in trouble. There is no way I could keep control over 60 children, so we are lucky to have these (assistants) in each city we perform.

“They get a videotape and the dance is already pretty much in shape when we get there. Then we meld the children and the company and miracle by miracle it comes together.”

Alberta Ballet tours “The Nutcracker” through late November and early December and then performs the ballet in its home cities - Calgary and Edmonton - through the holidays. In all, it stages 35 performances, a challenge for a comparatively small company.

The troupe tours with 30 dancers, who fly from city to city, and two trucks loaded with the sets and costumes. With only 30 dancers, most of the roles must be double cast - one set of principals might dance the matinee and another set will perform the evening show. When there’s an injury or illness, the lineup must be juggled to accommodate. Most dancers perform up to five roles in the ballet.

Because the storyline is not entirely clear throughout the nearly two-hour ballet, parents might want to acquaint younger children with the story prior to the performance to reduce the need for explanation during the dancing. The E.T.A. Hoffmann “Nutcracker” is widely available in book stores and libraries.

“Nutcracker” spectators are encouraged to arrive early and allow plenty of time to park since those arriving after the production has begun will not be seated until intermission to allow all others to enjoy the dancing uninterrupted.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: These 2 sidebars appeared with the story:

1. ON STAGE “The Nutcracker” will be staged by Alberta Ballet and the Spokane Symphony tonight at 7:30, Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Opera House. Tickets: $29.50, $26, $20 and $15.50 ($13.50 for children younger than 13), available at the symphony box office in the Seafirst Building (624-1200), G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT.

2. ON STAGE “The Nutcracker” will also be staged by Ballet Oregon Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. Tickets are $22, $18, $12 for adults; $22, $12, $10 for students; and $22, $8, $6 for children, available at the Beasley box office, at The Depot in Pullman, and through G&B.