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English National Ballet: The Nutcracker 2016/17 Season


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I do like to see a Nutcracker each Christmas and, despite its flaws, which seem to bother me less than some other posters, I find much to enjoy in Eagling's Nutcracker. So, I went along to the matinee today. Eighteen year old Rina Kanehara gave an astonishingly assured performance as Clara/SPF. She was ably partnered by Guilherme Menezes as the Nutcracker, Yonah Acosta as the Nephew and Fabian Reimar as Drosselmeyer. Eagling's choreography has a tendency to be fussy with awkward lifts, 'drags' etc and an abundance of steps but this afternoon everything (pdd for Clara and the Nutcracker, pdt for Clara, the Nutcracker and Drosselmeyer and the GPDD) went very smoothly indeed.

 

To those in the know, has Eagling's tweaked his choreography? I seem to recollect a shoulder lift in the GPDD in previous years but perhaps I have imagined this.

 

Shiori Kase's image appears all over the Nutcracker related merchandise and it's a great shame that she's injured as she is exceptional in the role of Clara/SPF.

 

I was pleased to see the pointe shoe tree in all its glory and managed to get some decent photographs before the hordes descended!

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I booked for today's matinee especially to catch Rina Kanehara as Clara/SugarPlum and was blown away. She has a beautifully phrased technique, musicality, timing, acting ability, truth, charm, spontaneity and great poise. It is rare to find such artistry in so young and relatively inexperienced a ballerina and I think that we are seeing the dawn of a wonderful new star.

 

To those in the know, has Eagling's tweaked his choreography? I seem to recollect a shoulder lift in the GPDD in previous years but perhaps I have imagined this.
 

 

I don't think that the choreographer has tweaked things. Each partnership seems to manage the pdd lifts in their own way.

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Marvellous performance last night, although I found Act 1 rather dull until the snowflakes waltz (as usual), Act 2 was a real joy, Shevelle Dynott as the Arabian male (there seemed to be more dancing and less whipping), Ken Saruhashi as the Russian, and best of all, a truly thrilling grand pdd from Alina Cojocaru and Cesar Corrales, a huge ovation after the adagio must have inspired them, that must have been the most exciting coda I've seen, and led to a very happy finale!

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At this time of year, I find myself wondering whether any company will think about bringing back a Nutcracker with a child of the correct age as Clara. I know it is a long time ago since anyone did that, and possibly it was only ENB that did so(?). But I often think it jars to have an adult Clara cavorting around in the first act like a child, especially when surrounded by real children.

 

I know that having the adult Clara allows for some of the gorgeous music to be used for some "proper" dancing, but the last time I saw any Nutcracker (some years ago, I admit), even the proper dancing was rather limited in Act 1.

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