BALLET REVIEW Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker Sparkles
Choreographed by Mikko Nissinen, the Boston Ballet’s rendition of this classic hits all the familiar, comforting notes, while also including a few cheeky details to keep things interesting for perennial attendees. In an effort to trim the show to under two hours (a smart move, considering the number of children both in the corps and in the audience), the action proceeded with a frenetic pace. Act I opens with a Christmas Eve party at the Silberhaus home. Clara’s magical godfather Drosselmeier arrives at the party bearing animated gifts, including a dancing bear unique to the Boston production. (As a figure skating Chewbacca once told me following a performance of Star Wars on Ice, “It is not easy to twirl in a big fur suit.”) Each of his gifts performs a small, cleverly arranged sequence that helps you understand what Toy Story would be like if it were ever adapted for ballet.