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I had been dancing for a little over a year, and all I wanted for my seventh birthday was to go see the Nutcracker (Oh … and then go out for spaghetti afterward, my favorite). So four little girls, myself included, piled into my mom’s car, and headed to the matinee. I still vividly remember how wowed I was; I was amazed by everything: the movements, the costumes, the lights… It was the first time I had seen a professional ballet performance and I was hooked. I realized what it really meant to be ballet dancer. Very soon after I told my father in a very matter-of-fact, no-kidding-around tone, “I am going to be a ballerina.” That performance was a supreme inspiration for me.

I have a strong attachment to this particular ballet, not only because of the impression it made all those years ago, but because I have had the joy of performing in it many times. It’s become a part of me; any time I even think about the Nutcracker, the music begins in my head. So you can imagine my reaction when I discovered the Moscow Ballet would be performing their Great Russian Nutcracker in Virginia Beach this holiday season.

I attended the Thursday evening performance (the “snow/ice/rain” day). It didn’t matter that it was snowing, icing, and raining; I was going. I excitedly crunched my way down the icy Town Center streets in my boots, and blew into the Sandler Center just in time for curtain.

The story of the Great Russian Nutcracker in a nutshell (no pun intended) is the story of the young Masha (in some versions known as Clara) and her adventures one Christmas Eve. Her parents host a party and she receives the gift of a Nutcracker doll from the mystical and mysterious toymaker Drosselmeyer. Masha’s brother Fritz breaks the doll and Masha is heartbroken. Drosselmeyer mends the Nutcracker, and the party continues. Later that evening, after everyone else is asleep, Masha returns to her doll and that is when the magic begins… the Nutcracker comes to life when he and his soldiers are attacked by the Mouse King and his mouse crew. Drosselmeyer appears and with Masha’s help, the Nutcracker wins the battle to transform into a prince. The Prince and Masha are taken through a beautiful snowy forest to the Land of Peace and Tranquility where the Mouse King appears (which is an unusual twist to the traditional story doe a final battle with the Prince. The people of the land rejoice in the Prince’s victory, and perform various dances for the entertainment of the Prince and Masha (Spanish, Chinese, Arabian, etc), followed by a pas de deux between the Prince and Masha (in some versions the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince perform this pas de deux) to culminate the celebration with everyone dancing together. The ballet concludes when Masha wakes in her living room, Drosselmeyer bringing her the Nutcracker doll.

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I must first mention Ekaterina Bortyakova, the ballerina in the role of Masha. She is the epitome of a classical ballerina: waiflike without being frail; delicate without being weak. Her ballet technique and quality of movement are exquisite. She portrayed a young girl superbly; her mannerisms and facial expressions were genuine and unwavering. Her strength and skill seemed to surpass the choreography; she could have easily executed more challenging steps. To say that I was impressed would be an extreme understatement. Her performance was flawless.

The dancers in the Arabian dances, Viktoria Kiriat, and Popescu Titus, were simply unbelievable. They performed acrobatics and lifts and contortions that didn’t seem possible. At one point, with Kiriat in a handstand on Titus’ outstretched arm with her legs in the splits above her head and their faces touching as he lowered himself down, both the children and adults in the audience emitted gasps and “wows”  that continued throughout their pas de deux. I was no exception.

The technique of the Moscow Ballet’s company dancers was outstanding: beautiful lines, gorgeous feet, exceptional jumps and turns. At times artistic expression was a little lacking, however. During some of the corps de ballet sections, the performance quality was somewhat stiff and cautious; the dancers did not quite fully connect with the audience. I would have loved to see more emotion and feeling.

The costumes were wonderful; rich silk dresses, lively character costumes, and elaborate tutus. I was surprised to see that backdrops were the only presence of a set. They were simple, bright and colorful, adding a playful element to the stage.

One thing that threw me was the end of the performance when another dancer came on stage as Masha. I mean no disrespect to the dancer; she performed this (and her original role) very well. But it was rather puzzling when Drosselmeyer appeared with a different person dressed as Masha (I could practically feel the audience’s eyebrows come together, wondering why someone else was dancing the part). I imagine that this was done because of the difficulty of a costume change before bows (from the white tutu from the pas de deux, into the nightgown, and then back into the tutu); it seems that the choreography could be arranged to allow time for this to eliminate the confusion and interruption of the ballet’s flow.

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The performance overall was strong; the Moscow Ballet’s production of this tale had elements that were immensely impressive. The company is clearly strong in technique and talent. The Nutcracker is traditionally a very children-focused ballet, and the Moscow Ballet’s version was especially so. I was thrilled that many local dance students of varying age were involved in the show (including a few students I work with). The children were not only cast for the traditional roles of party children and mice; they were included throughout the entire ballet, and accompanied the Moscow Ballet company members very well.

As I stood applauding at the end of the show, and saw the beaming, glowing faces of the children on stage during their bows, and looked around at the children in the audience who were also on their feet, eyes wide, smiling and clapping, I couldn’t help but think back to my seven-year-old experience. I couldn’t help but wonder if any of the children had just been inspired; I wondered who among them had felt that spark in their spirit, realizing ballet was what they truly wanted to do … and I smiled. From ear to ear.

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