'The Nutcracker', a real treat for ballet lovers<\/p>\n
By Tri Hafiningsih<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Classical ballet performances have been rare
\nevents in the last few years. So The Nutcracker, performed here
\nlast weekend at Taman Ismail Marzuki, was a real treat for ballet
\nfans.<\/p>\n
The performance by dancers from the Namarina ballet school,
\nsupported by a few of the limited number of professional ballet
\ndancers here, also attracted children as it featured their idol,
\nsinger-actress Sherina Munaf, who skyrocketed to popularity with
\nan orchestra-backed album of songs and smash hit film Petualangan
\nCinta last year.<\/p>\n
Choosing her to play Clara, one of the leading characters in
\nthe classic with music composed by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, was a
\nsmart move to make the show more appealing to the locals. The
\nshows were packed even though most of the audience were probably
\nunfamiliar with the legendary Christmas season classic.<\/p>\n
People also probably turned out because ballet performances
\nare such a rarity here. Colorful costumes and stage backgrounds
\nwere displayed throughout the two-hour show, while the dancers
\nskillfully performed some difficult numbers of the New York City
\nBallet's version of the dance choreography with notable technical
\nprecision.<\/p>\n
The opening scene featured the opulence of a 19th century
\nChristmas party at the Stahlbaums family residence. The colorful,
\nshiny costumes of the women and girls attending the party
\nappropriately prepared the audience for the dreamy, out of this
\nworld atmosphere of the next scenes.<\/p>\n
The costumes of the gentlemen guests, on the contrary, were
\nrather dull and too modern-looking. It created a bit of a gap,
\nseparating the men characters, played by non-dancers, from the
\nwomen, played by Namarina dancers. It was a little uncomfortable
\nto see the men dancing awkwardly with the skilled women dancers
\nin the ballroom scene of the first act.<\/p>\n
Sherina and Kanumara Sianturi, who played the Stahlbaum
\nchildren, were able to portray perfectly the excitement of the
\nchildren at the joyful Christmas party. But Kanumara, who played
\nClara's brother, Fritz, seemed to have difficulty keeping up with
\nthe others (all the other boy characters were played by girls),
\nin the scenes in which he had to dance.<\/p>\n
Ginastera Sianturi, who played the Nutcracker, clearly had
\nbetter experience and was able to show his ballet skills in some
\nof the scenes, but he lacked the range of expression and
\nappropriate costumes to support the change of characters. It was
\ndifficult for the audience to see him completely assume different
\nroles -- as the guest of the Stahlbaum party in the opening
\nscene, then the Nutcracker toy coming alive (the blond wig and
\nbeard helped a little) in the first act, and finally as the
\nhandsome prince who had to lead Clara in the dream. He seemed to
\nremain Ginastera, rather than as the leading character of a grand
\nballet performance.<\/p>\n
Then again, the scenes and characters in the first act were
\npresented to build the proper atmosphere. The lack of skills of
\nthe gentlemen performers were easily forgotten with the grand
\ncostumes of the ladies, the games and shows of the mysterious,
\nplayful, magician character, Uncle Drosselmeyer, and the funny
\ngestures of the toy soldiers and the Mouse King. All of those
\nattractions mostly appealed to the children in the audience, who
\nlaughed, clapped and cheered at those particular scenes.<\/p>\n
The mysterious Uncle Drosselmeyer, who came to the party to
\nentertain the children with games and gifts, was successfully
\nplayed by Edmund Gaerlan with the perfect support of a black
\ncloak and eye patch. He also played the Cavalier Prince, dancing
\nthe grand pas de deux with the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Grand
\nFinale just before the closing scene. In the party scene the
\nuncle gave Clara a nutcracker toy soldier as a Christmas gift.<\/p>\n
The first act ends with the death of the Mouse King, killed at
\nthe tip of the Nutcracker's sword. Clara helped the Nutcracker
\nand toy soldiers, who become big and alive in Clara's dream, to
\nvictory against the invading mice.<\/p>\n
The second act was a continuous display of skilled dancing and
\ncomplicated choreography, originally designed by Lev Ivanov of
\nthe Russian Ballet at the turn of the 19th century. It started
\nwith the dancing Snowflakes, in which 12 dancers in white,
\nflowing tutus danced the classical number on point shoes. The
\nfalling snow in the final scene featuring all the dancers, as
\nwell as Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, created a perfect,
\ndreamlike, atmosphere.<\/p>\n
In the Kingdom of Sweets, the Sugar Plum fairy entertained
\nClara with colorful dances of Hot Chocolate, Arabian Coffee,
\nChinese Tea, Madame Bonbonniere, Spanish, Russian and the
\nlegendary Waltz of the Flowers.<\/p>\n
The number featuring Madame Bonbonniere was perhaps the most
\nattractive for the by now wide-eyed, amazed children in the
\naudience. The madame, or Mother Ginger, made a grand solo entry
\nin her shocking-pink costume. Her ballooning petticoat-skirt
\nsurprisingly \"managed\" to conceal all the dancers of the Candy
\nCane and the polichenelles.<\/p>\n
The second act closed with the grand pas de deux of the Sugar
\nPlum Fairy, played in turns by Namarina's Jetty Maika and Rialita
\nWijaya, and the Cavalier Prince. The difficult movements and
\nchoreography of the final duet dance were perfectly carried out
\nby the skilled, professional dancers. But it would have been even
\nbetter if the dancers had more relaxed expressions during the
\nparticularly complicated number.<\/p>\n
The elements of surprise were in the closing scene. Clara and
\nthe Nutcracker Prince bid farewell to the residents of the land
\nof Sweets, and the audience, while \"flying\" over the stage. There
\nwere a few worried expressions from Clara and the Nutcracker
\nduring the short scene, showing the amusing aspects of live
\nentertainment. And then the curtain came down, too soon for some,
\non a charming and diverting performance.<\/p>",
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