The Holiday Season begins with George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker

By Stephanie Sirabian, 28 November 2011

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Reviewed at Lincoln Center: David H Koch Theater, New York City on 25 November 2011

The Nutcracker (George Balanchine)

New York City Ballet

Sara Mearns, The Sugar Plum Fairy

Tiler Peck, Dewdrop

Jonathan Stafford, Cavalier

New York City Ballet Orchestra

Clotilde Otranto, Conductor

Ballet for cowboys and soldiers at Kansas City Ballet

Hilary Stroh, 20th March

Kansas City Ballet celebrate the USA’s 250th anniversary with three American ballets. Balanchine's Stars and Stripes, de Mille's Rodeo and a new work by Caili Quan, A Home Away.

****1

American Ballet Theatre's double bill is short and sweet in New York

Ivy Lin, 15th March

American Ballet Theatre presents Balanchine's Raymonda: Grand Pas Hongrois and Ratmansky's Firebird which showcases the company well and provides a strong contrast.

****1

A spectacular triple bill lifts ABT’s spring season in New York

Leigh Donlan, 13th March

A finely curated triple bill from American Ballet Theatre included works from Balanchine, Jiří Kylián and Alexei Ratmansky.

****1

Understatement and spectacle at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 26th February

Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering and George Balanchine's Diamonds make a study in contrasts. With lots of debuts in the former and seasoned leads in the latter.

*****

Fast Forward: Hamburg Ballet’s mixed bill proves a mixed success

Vikki Jane Vile, 22nd February

All that glistens... the world premiere of Xie Xin’s The Moon in the Ocean is the highlight of a mixed bill programme spanning 90 years of choreography.

***11

Study in Scarlet: Rubies crown Balanchine’s Jewels in Vienna

Mark Pullinger, 8th February

With a trio of excellent performances, Balanchine's sassy Rubies proves the hit as Jewels – a relatively recent acquisition – returns to the Wiener Staatsballett.

****1

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Stephanie Sirabian

Stephanie started dancing when she was three years old and never stopped. She earned her B.A. from Tufts University majoring in History with a minor in dance and currently works in publishing as a copywriter. In her spare time she enjoys creative writing and exploring all the advantages of living in NYC.