Sunday, December 7, 2008

Spokane Nutcracker fun...



This weekend, we attended the Nutcracker Ballet, our city's wonderful holiday tradition in downtown Spokane, watching Alberta Ballet, along with several local dancers, perform Edmund Stripe's updated version of the Nutcracker.




We had a wonderful afternoon, with almost 150 of us from Inland Northwest Ballet seated together, watching our students dance, and enjoying the fabulous new sets and enchanting new costumes. In speaking with our dancers after the matinee, we found they are having a terrific weekend performing with the company members from Alberta Ballet. Dancing with and seeing how the backstage in a professional company works is both thrilling and educational for all of them!


Miss Janine's review: Between dancing in, and attending the Nutcracker Ballet, I have probably seen approximately 100 Nutcracker performances. I have found that I tend to prefer tradition when it comes to this ballet. I have seen companies try to be "different", and I have sometimes disliked the results, when "different" tampers too much with tradition.
With Edmund Stripes' new version, I was very pleased. Never before have I seen a company enjoy such success in combining tradition with uniqueness. I felt that the important aspects were kept traditional, while many details in the slightly new storyline were unique to this Nutcracker, keeping us interested, and sometimes amused.

Click below to learn more about Alberta Ballet, the professional company, the dancers, and the choreographer.

http://www.albertaballet.com/news/blog-buzz

As always, we enjoyed the music of the Spokane Symphony immensely...:) Click below to learn more about the Symphony and upcoming performances...

http://www.spokanesymphony.org/series,8,nutcracker

Photos of our dancers and our group photo in the lobby of the Opera House will be posted soon...:)

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