As the song says, "There's no place like home for the holidays." This year, the Nevada Ballet Theatre has come back home to UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre to present the familiar story of Clara, her family and her magical dream. The production, although designed by Alexandre Vassiliev to fit a larger venue, looks good in the smaller theater. Set in Germany in the late 1800s, this is not a grand, sweeping opera-house production, but an intimate gathering of family and friends, and the audience is invited. As with most home parties, the music is prerecorded—an orchestra just won't fit in a living room.
Katia Brim as Clara and Nikayla Jackson as Fritz lead a charming group of young guests. All the children take their roles seriously, yet dance with a youthful enthusiasm. The boys are rambunctious, Grandmother (a great character turn by Stephanie Myers) downs a bit too much champagne, gifts are exchanged and all joyously celebrate the holiday. The children are so strong that John Surdick, as the magician Drosselmeyer, tends to fade into the background. Also, there is a jarring note in an otherwise good-natured party when Clara's father became unnecessarily rough with the little maid. Removing this bit of business would strengthen the scene.
The fight scene between the soldiers and the mice needs work. The choreography should be adjusted to accommodate the smaller stage. The mice especially seem under-rehearsed, causing the action to appear disjointed.
The adult roles are generally well-danced. Standouts are Racheal Hummel and her superior partner Cristobal Marquez as the Snow Queen and King. Gracious and elegant, they perform the difficult pas de deux with security. Additionally, the character dances in Act II are done with charm and good technique—especially the Arabian variation, which showcases a sinuous Rebecca Brimhall and her two excellent partners, Aragorn Berner and Brandon Hillard. She moves sensuously throughout and shows that remarkable extensions can be achieved with fluidity and complete control.
The final grand pas de deux is performed by Natalia Chapourskaya and Baris Erhan as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her prince, and through their musicality they transcend what is often a mere display of technique.
The corps de ballet deserves special mention. Somewhat hampered by the smaller stage, the dancers execute the snow scene with speed and unity. Later, in the second act's Waltz of the Flowers, they make a lovely conclusion to the character variations.
A company's progress can be tracked by the improvement in its corps. By this measure, Nevada Ballet Theatre is coming along nicely.