ALBERTA BALLET & BALLET BRITISH COLUMBIA
The Nutcracker

Dates: 17-19 December 2004 Venue: Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Reviewer: Ross Michael Pink


 

 

 

 

 

 


Jean Grand-Maitre
Jean Grand-Maitre

Once again, The Nutcracker enchanted audiences young and old in a stellar joint performance by Ballet British Columbia and Alberta Ballet. Nutcracker is a timeless ballet that has the well deserved reputation of a classic. To the delight of the sold out audience, both Alberta Ballet and Ballet BC did justice to the classic.

Ballet Alberta is led by artistic director, Jean Grand-Maitre, who is well known for creating Frames of Mind for the National Ballet of Canada in 1993. In the 2002-2003 season, he choreographed the world premiere of Carmen for Alberta Ballet.

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Ballet BC is led by veteran John Alleyne who has been with the company as artistic director since 1992. Alleyne, a creative and daring artist, challenges convention. Major works he has choreographed for Ballet BC include: Boy Wonder, Orpheus , and Carmina Burana. Special mention must go to Paul Daigle for magnificent costumes and Roger La Voie for staging and design. They are unsung heroes whose work added lustre to the ballet.

The cast of dancers were impressive, particularlyFei Guo, Donald Sales and Chris Hannon of Ballet BC and Nicole Caron, Alba Berdala, and Reid Bartelme of Alberta Ballet.

© 2004 Ross Pink

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