Go nuts! Ballet companies offer distinct versions of seasonal favorite
During the early part of the 19th century, the short stories of the writer and critic E.T.A. Hoffmann had a tremendous impact on the German Romantic movement. Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud reveled in the psychology of his characters. The composer Jacques Offenbach paid homage to the writer in his greatest opera, "The Tales of Hoffmann."
Today, Hoffmann's imagination is probably most appreciated in dance circles for a tale he wrote about a little girl who receives a wooden nutcracker doll for Christmas. Later that night, her soldier comes to life, fights an army of mice and the young girl gets to visit his kingdom.
For a more traditional "Nutcracker" experience, see Ballet Memphis' version at the Orpheum this weekend.
Audiences can take in New Ballet Ensemble's "Nut ReMix" Saturday at Germantown Performing Arts Centre.
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In 1892, 70 years after Hoffmann's death, the story became "The Nutcracker" ballet, with music by Tchaikovsky and choreography by the biggest name in Russian classical dance, Marius Petipa.
Should there be any doubt that "The Nutcracker" still stands alone as the top title for America's dance companies and schools, just ask any artistic director to consider doing something else during the holidays.
The responses range from keeping tradition alive to serving the demands of an audience.
This is "Nutcracker" weekend for local dance companies, and on two ends of Shelby County, Hoffmann's story is once again playing out on stages.
At the Orpheum, Ballet Memphis performs its large-scale production of "The Nutcracker," complete with Tchaikovsky's music, delicate Sugar Plum Fairies, and choreography evocative of the Russian original.
At the Germantown Performing Arts Centre, New Ballet Ensemble has up-sized its contemporary "Nut ReMix," a 21st century adaptation of the story set on Beale Street.
Artistic director Dorothy Gunther Pugh says that in a hectic season of shopping, travel and planning, "The Nutcracker" remains a respite for those looking for a breather.
"I think it's so popular because there's that impulse to stop and get in touch with the things that are important to us," she said. "It's about being with family and taking the time to discover something wonderful."
The Ballet Memphis production has changed over the years and now the show is the amalgamated work of three choreographers. Janet Parke, head of the dance school, created the opening scene. Associate artistic director Karl Condon did the battle sequence, and former company dancer Joseph Jefferies choreographed the second act.
"It's built on the classical vocabulary," said Pugh. "But it's not predictable. We've been handed a gift in this story and we have to keep asking ourselves how do we bring life to this?"
Ballet Memphis' cast includes 20 corps dancers, a number of students in the junior company, and a host of children who appear in the opening scene. The sets and costumes were purchased from the English National Ballet.
When Katie Smythe, CEO and artistic director of New Ballet Ensemble, originally put on "The Nutcracker" with her growing dance school, she said it was mainly to give her classical ballet students a sense of tradition.
But seven years ago, a guest artist in her studio wondered why she didn't "remix" the whole thing.
"I'm traditional. I love 'The Nutcracker' and so does everybody else," Smythe said. "I wanted to update it, but still maintain the integrity of the piece."
Smythe noticed that the students in her Midtown dance school were bringing their own urban flair to the classroom. She had also been working with traditional Flamenco and African dance performers.
Her version of "The Nutcracker" is set in a café on Beale Street. The teenage heroine, whose parents run the place, meets tourists from all over the world.
"It's a holiday evening," Smythe says. "When she goes to sleep she dreams of going to all the places where the people have come from."
"Nut ReMix," now in its seventh season, uses some of Tchaikovsky's original music. But she mixes in excerpts from the jazz adaptation recorded by Duke Ellington. In the second half, the divertissements are performed to indigenous music from Africa, China and Spain.
"I was inspired by other people who had the courage to update tradition," Smythe said. "We are a very eclectic group and we wanted to be inclusive."
Her company features five salaried dancers, three trainees and around 80 students and children in the performance. "Nut ReMix" has grown so large that Smythe transferred it to GPAC this year from the Buckman Center.
Dancers in both companies say performing in versions of "The Nutcracker" gives them the chance to reconnect with the reasons they took up dancing to begin with.
Kendall Britt, a Ballet Memphis dancer who began performing in "Nutcrackers" when he was 11, says it allows dancers to play a part in the evolution of a classic holiday story.
"It always brings us back to our classical roots," he said. "And it's great that we get to reexamine it every year. We make the roles our own. The human qualities always need to shine through, no matter what style of dance it is."
Cristti Streeter, a hip-hop artist who has studied three years with New Ballet Ensemble, believes that dance is a natural part of the Christmas season.
"Especially for my race, African- Americans," she said. "We dance for just about everything. It's a celebration. You dance in church, outside with your friends. For me, dancing is always something I've done around the holidays. A way to spread cheer through movement."
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New Ballet Ensemble's "Nut ReMix"
2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre, 1801 Exeter Rd. Tickets are $15-$40. Call 751-7501
Ballet Memphis' "Nutcracker"
7:30 tonight, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Orpheum theater, 203 S Main. Tickets are $5-$70. Call 525-3000.
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