Too many days have passed since my Korean Nutcracker Experience, so the sting of my critique has cooled substantially. But wow. The party scene had men chugging beer in a sad attempt at humor, while their wives (with the biggest, most butt-like bustles I've EVER seen on ballerinas) twittered around them, taking teensy little steps and worrying like hens. They used children liberally. I got the feeling this ballet was a showcase for the unfortunate little dance students being groomed to be the next ballet super stars (that's a whole nother rant about my Swan Lake experience, where the male and female leads got cheers and catcalls EVERY time they came onstage, a la rock concert). Anyway, because they were kids (and no older than 13), there was wobbling and tripping galore. Then they brought out the nutcracker, pre-transformation into dashing fantasy prince. He was this tiny, tiny, tiny little thing all in red velour. Can 6 year old kids be anorexic? I swear this kid was. And oh, the audience found him so charming. He couldn't hold his own. Drosselmeyer literally carried him everywhere and moved his limbs for him.
And don't get me started about the second act. The national dancers - you know, Russia, Arabia, Spain, etc. appeared at the end of the first scene, and they were styled to be static, mechanical dolls. So they proceed to wobble and fling their unpointed in all directions throughout the entire second act. Including the pas de deux, and the sugarplums.
There was more. Much more I could nitpick. All in all it was a highly enjoyable excursion. No, really, it was great. This rant was more involved than I thought.
The Christmas Spirit is upon us, while I prance around in my Fall jacket and stress over finding the perfect Korean presents for my family.
I should go help Beka was the cookies....
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