American Contemporary Ballet’s The Nutcracker Suite Review
November 25, 2023 | ACB Performance Venue – Los Angeles, CA, USA
When it comes to The Nutcracker, versions as multitudinous as the ballet companies that perform them. Since it’s nearly impossible to see every show, the biggest question is then: How do we choose?
American Contemporary Ballet (ACB) lures audiences with the draw of the fresh.
Based loosely on Balanchine’s Nutcracker, American Contemporary Ballet’s The Nutcracker Suite adds novelty to the time-honored tale by stripping away the exposition, climax, and conclusion and boiling the story down to a virtually narrative-less exploration into the escapist power of ballet.
American Contemporary Ballet’s The Nutcracker Suite Review
Billed as immersive, Suite is a multisensory experience that starts upon arrival.
For the run, ACB has transformed what is otherwise a nondescript industrial space into a fantastical winter wonderland teeming with anticipation. As the audience enters the space, they are welcomed by a young figure on rollerblades, wind–up dolls they can interact with, and an assortment of chocolates.
The process of immersion is backed by a live performance of selections from Tchaikovsky’s sublime score.
Upon finding my seat, I must sweep aside a thin layer of “snow” that’s been sprinkled upon my program which itself has been ingeniously designed by Farewell NYC to look like a menu featuring a familiar cast of characters. In a way, the all-around immersive experience is a reminder that “going to the ballet” is a verb.
American Contemporary Ballet’s The Nutcracker Suite falls into none of the trappings of traditional renditions of The Nutcracker, for better or for worse.
For better, it makes the audience the main character. Skipping over what is traditionally Act I of the story (and, let’s be honest, the most boring part), the dancing portion of the evening begins with Waltz of the Snowflakes. Because – and I lament – the actual time that the dancers are performing is too short to be broken up by a formal intermission, the dancing is instead briefly but happily interrupted by dolls bearing treats.
If one had not picked up on it yet, this action makes it clear that the dancers are performing for you. Why should Clara, Marie, or whatever you want to call her have all the fun?
Still for the better, Suite takes the liberty of exploring alternative interpretations of some of the more familiar characters. ACB’s Mother Ginger, for instance, is less of a larger-than-life, clown-like character as much as a sophisticated yet still playful big sister. And Tea was a bit more, well decaffeinated.
For worse, ACB takes its minimalist costume design to a negative extreme. Many of the costumes, designed by RuoxuanLi and Yasamin Sarabipour, look like something thrown together for a high school theater production.
Moreover, they lacked consistency; this was most apparent during the finale. The mini Candy Cane cage crinoline, for instance, clashed with the Forsythe-esque Tea tutu, and the neon 1960s-looking Marzipan costumes came totally out of left field.
My favorite were the dresses donned by the Waltz of the Flowers corps de ballet that effused an ethereal, vintage vibe, but even they didn’t fit in well.
To reevaluate Suite’s costuming, though, is the only way I see that the show could improve. Everything else was worthy of high praise as it was.
While all dancers were objectively good, there were several standouts. Madeline Houk, for one, dazzled as the de facto Snow Queen and in Marzipan; Sarah Bukowski was the pinnacle of grace as the Sugar Plum Fairy; and Elise Kruger exhibited unrivaled levels of confidence and control as the lead in Waltz of the Flowers.
Kristin Steckmann as Mother Ginger and her 12-year-old protégé Anna Mendolo were the undeniable dynamic duo of the evening.
With these dancers and their like on ACB’s roster, the company’s future is bright.
Alongside gingerbread houses, snowball fights, and Hallmark movies, everyone should make American Contemporary Ballet’s The Nutcracker Suite a holiday tradition. It’s delightful, delicious, and – unlike some of ACB’s other works that are better for more mature audiences – completely family friendly.
Featured Photo for American Contemporary Ballet’s The Nutcracker Suite of the Waltz of the Snowflakes scene. Photo by Asilda Photography.
