Boston Ballet Review: The Gift
December 16, 2021 | Digital
“Art is the greatest gift we can give and share in these hard times”, says Mikko Nissinen in the introduction of Boston Ballet’s virtual performance, The Gift.
At its initial premiere in 1892 in St. Petersburg Russia, The Nutcracker received tremendously terrible reviews. Since then, it was reworked several times over across the globe in Russia, Budapest, England, New York City, and finally the first completed version performed in the United States was in San Francisco by William Christensen in 1944.
George Balanchine’s version for the New York City Ballet, perhaps the most famous, had its premiere in 1954 and has since seen annual ticket sale success. Less popular in Europe, the ballet has flourished across the United States and performances can be seen by companies and schools alike.
Amid the commonality of a Nutcracker around every corner, Boston Ballet attempts something unique in their holiday offering of The Gift. Set to the zippy tunes of Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite, the company turned to the dancers for the choreography.
Five company members, one Boston Ballet II member, and one Boston Ballet School post-graduate make up the group behind the steps. It’s a smart way to bring a freshness to the seasonal art and give the dancers a new avenue for creative outlet.
Originally filmed and premiered in December 2020, when the dancers hadn’t been on a stage in months, The Gift, I think, was also a bit of a gift for the dancers too.
In addition to the Duke Ellington-accompanied dances, the company also filmed the Sugar Plum Pas de Deux. Set to live accompaniment in the form of a rehearsal piano, Victorina Kapitonova and Tigran Mkrtchyan look the part in sparkling cream-colored costumes designed by Robert Perdziola. Even Kapitonova’s mask is bedazzled.
Taking inspiration from the Lev Ivanov 1892 version, the dance opens with the classic partnered développé front for the woman, promenade to attitude, the recognizable male dancer’s hand flip and the female dancer’s dramatic replacement of her hand in his. Simply classic, this version is very much so a “grand” pas with elegant steps throughout.
However, the presentation from Kapitonova and Mkrtchyan comes across a little bit flat. A particularly beautiful moment in Tchaikovsky’s score is matched by the choreography in a partnered développé side into a penché arabesque. It is usually a moment of stunning breath and pause but this recording lacked a bit of luster.
I did appreciate the inclusion of two specific arm movements in Kapitonova’s solo. There is a pique attitude turn that serves as both the finish of one sequence and the preparation for another. I have seen several dancers choose to do the turn through the music, ignoring the accents. Kapitonova adds a flick of the left wrist and then the right on the two additional notes of music. Incredibly simple but this will now be something I seek in all Sugar Plum variations moving forward.
Mkrtchyan displays stunning double cabrioles in both his solo and the coda and completes a difficult double tour sequence as well.
All in all, although on the slightly bland side, I do think it was the right choice to include the Sugar Plum Pas in the program but might have been better to include a live performance recording.
To start off the main event, Eric Jackson from Boston’s WGBH radio, considered the “Dean of Boston Jazz Radio” delivers a nice history lesson on Duke Ellington. Some call Ellington America’s greatest composer and although the artist felt his music was “beyond category”, Ellington’s main instrument was the orchestra. I love his take on the familiar Tchaikovsky favorite.
In the Overture, choreographed by dancer Chyrstyn Fentroy, we are introduced to The Gift through a literal gift. Attached to the fly grid above the stage is the tiniest little gift-wrapped box, fashioned in red paper and gold ribbon. The camera pans out to the full stage and a solitude dancer staring up at the small package.
The jazzy strings of Ellington’s music start and the dancing begins. Fentroy’s movement looks as the music sounds in a good mix of ballet and jazz without being cheesy. It is a nice piece with the highlights being when the dancers groove out in mild improv.
Toot Toot Tootie Toot (Dance of the Reed Flutes) is next, choreographed by BBII dancer Gabriel Lorena. An interesting costume choice for the reed flutes, outfitted in Spanish character skirts and character heels, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The music for this section is wonderfully languid and syrupy, much different than the typical sharpness of the Tchaikovsky version. While the choreography could have leaned into the softness more there were notable moments of luxurious port de bras.
The formations were, for the most part, non-unique but I did appreciate the creativity and experimentation in camerawork during a zoomed in section of hand choreography although this part may have been better achieved as a quick cut rather than a zoom.
Peanut Brittle Brigade (March) by Haley Schwan is a bubbly piece for six dancers. Opening in silence, the dancers act as if they are drinking champagne and chatting at a holiday party. Jazzy, cutesy, and full of snaps and shimmies, the piece is reminiscent of the Balanchine style. The partnering sequences could use some finessing, but the ending is sweet as pie when the dancers run off together, hands around waists.
Moving away from the typical, expected jazz styles found in the other pieces, company dancer Paul Craig’s Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy) is more grounded and surprisingly, the only piece with floor work. The dancers are in tan tops and black pants, bringing a more abstract and less characterized mood. The movement echoes the drumbeats and Craig is cognizant of the importance of subtlety.
Sticking with mostly symmetrical formations, the creativity lies in the steps and transitions. Craig often has dancers take a demure pose by placing a flat palm against the front of their hips and that same palm later goes to the head in a moment of over-heatedness, or maybe one too many rums. The tone of his section brings a darker edge to the program, standing out amongst the bubblegum cheer.
My’Kal Stromile also leaned into more contemporary movements, the overall tone shifting back to buoyant brightness in his Entr’acte. I appreciated the inclusion of more partnering, but the abrupt ending brought a lackluster finish to the piece.
The Volga Vouty (Russian Dance) by John Lam is now the sixth group number we’ve seen in a row and the program gets to feel a bit repetitive. Although, Lam did have a successful canon sequence with the women downstage and the men upstage performing different steps. It also ended nicely with the dancers running upstage, seemingly into the distance.
Arianna Hughlett is a Boston Ballet School post-graduate and took on the task of choreographing Chinoiserie (Chinese Dance). The lighting was most interesting in this piece; the opening had the women downstage fully lit while the men remained upstage in silhouette creating a depth in her patterns. She also had a good use of asymmetry, avoiding the trap of doing large synchronous sections (which can be tempting with group work) and her use of the wings made for a more dynamic piece.
In a much-needed break from the group dances, the five choreographers in the main company perform one by one in Arabesque Cookie (Arabian Dance) and boy, is it refreshing to see some solos.
In an interesting twist, the choreographers were each matched up to a fellow choreographer to create on. The transitions between each simply faded out and in except in two scenarios where the last step of one solo became the first step of the next solo. It would have been more cohesive if every transition did the same.
In the finale, Dance of the Floreadores (Waltz of the Flowers), the dancers return for one last number. Each group did a sort of mini reprise of their group dance, but Stromile’s work in the finale stood out. The dancers did a wonderfully restrained shrug and shuffle dance that brought an understated coolness to the dance. The piece ends by panning outside the theater with the dancers in civilian clothes, moving to the final beats.
The Gift may be a bit fluffy but remains a creative way to reinterpret the Nutcracker Suite and a wonderful way to listen to Ellington’s score.
Featured Photo for this Boston Ballet review of the company in The Gift; photo by Brooke Trisolini; courtesy of Boston Ballet.
