Ruth Page’s The Nutcracker Dances On

Ruth Page first choreographed The Nutcracker for a Chicago debut at the Arie Crown Theatre in 1965. It was performed every year after until 1997 – six years after the innovative ballerina and choreographer’s death. In 2003, The Ruth Page Center, a dance school for children, professionals, and everyone in between and founded in 1971, created a new production of highlights from Ruth Page’s beloved original full-length staging, and it has run every holiday season since.

This production of the Nutcracker is playing at several different Chicago area locations, leading to a pared down set – but the costumes are beautiful, and the dancing joyful.

The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the on the E.T.A. Hoffman fairy tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” written in 1816. The Ballet debuted in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 17, 1892. The famous, classic, ageless music was composed by Peter Tchaikovsky, and originally choreographed by Marius Petipa.

The story opens at a family party on Christmas eve, at the home of Clara and her brother Fritz. Their mysterious, magician uncle Drosselmyer arrives, bringing wonderful, dancing dolls to amuse the children. Once the dolls are removed, Clara notices a wooden nutcracker in the form of a toy soldier that Drosselmyer had also brought, and that had been ignored by everyone. She takes an immediate liking to it, only to see her brother Fritz break it. Drosselmyer repairs it, and places it back under the Christmas tree. Later that night, after everyone has gone to bed, Clara sneaks down to check on her nutcracker. The grandfather clock strikes midnight and she looks up to see Drosselmeyer perched atop it. Suddenly, mice begin to fill the room and the Christmas tree begins to grow to dizzying heights. The nutcracker also grows to life size. Clara finds herself in the midst of a battle between an army of toy soldiers and the mice, led by their king. The Nutcracker and other toys battle the mice, and nearly lose, till Clara throws her shoe at the Mouse King, distracting him for long enough for the Nutcracker to kill him. The Nutcracker transforms into a human prince and invites Clara to his kingdom in thanks for her help.

In Act 2, the Prince and Clara travel to The Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Nutcracker recounts his adventures, and how Clara saved him. In honor of her courage, the Sugar Plum Fairy throws a dance party featuring sweets from around the world. At the end of the dancing, Clara is returned home.

The first act of this production of The Nutcracker came with a few surprises: Clara and her father are both speaking roles. There is also narration of the action as it takes place, perhaps so that children in the audience can follow along more easily. I did miss the more dance heavy, traditional Act 1, especially in the opening party scene, but the war with the Mice was still fun, the toy soldiers were played by some of the youngest dancers. They were tiny, yet valiant against the evil mice, and wholly adorable.

Appropriately, as the show moved on, the dancers grew older and more experienced. The Land of Snow brought guest ballerina Kyra Olson as the lovely Snow Queen accompanied by a powerful Bilal Shakur Smith.

The Second Act absolutely flew by, with short but overall delightful dances. Mother Ginger’s dance is always a crowd pleaser, with the children running around. The Coffee dance was brightly colored and comical – an unusual presentation but memorable. The Waltz of the Flowers was lovely, and the American Beauty Rose was danced beautifully by Kseniya Stetsenko.

The Grand Pas De Deux, featuring guests Adiarys Almeida as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Taras Domitro as the Cavalier was excellent. Domitro in particular soared across the stage with power and grace.

The 2024 production of “Ruth Page’s The Nutcracker ” features a cast curated from local and international dance artists. In keeping with Ms. Page’s emphasis on children’s involvement, additionally cast are students from Ruth Page School of Dance’s Professional Dance and Young Dancer Training Programs. Students from the Keystone Dance Academy that is Ruth Page School of Dance’s outreach program at Wentworth Elementary School on Chicago’s South Side are also eligible to audition and participate. The Keystone Dance Academy program engages students in the training and study of classical ballet, jazz, and choreography, with an additional emphasis on community building, mentorship and support.

If you love the Nutcracker, but don’t have the time, attention span or wallet for a full-length production, this sweet, joyful show is a great choice.

Recommended

Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia

The final weekend of performances is at the College of Lake County’s (CLC) James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St. in Grayslake, Saturday, Dec. 21 at 1 and 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 22 at 1 p.m. Tickets, ranging from $15 to $65 (depending on venue), are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.RuthPage.org. 

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.