“The Nutcracker”
Ballet West
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
December 6, 2018
by Ashley McKean
copyright © 2018 by Ashley McKean
Ballet West’s splendidly refurbished “Nutcracker” is as warm and welcoming as a cup of holiday spiced tea on a cold winter evening. This company's version of the holiday classic is no stranger to Washington audiences (having visited in 2012 and 2014), but this year’s production boasts a lofty $3 million overhaul that delightfully blends the old and the new: old-world charm framed with state-of-the-art sets, vintage choreography adorned with glimmering costumes, and a fairy-tale story complemented by imaginative special effects. Any worries that the lavish embellishments might overshadow the heart and soul of Ballet West’s production — Willam Christensen’s historic choreography from the first “Nutcracker” created in the United States in 1944 — are quickly put to rest by enchanting color palettes and tastefully jeweled costumes that envelop the dancing with elegance.
Artists of Ballet West in "The Nutcracker." Photo © Luke Isley