The Ballet Co. (1986)
| Performer | The Ballet Co |
|---|---|
| Venue | The Minster School |
| Date(s) | Saturday 21st June 1986 |
| Time | 7.30pm |
| Cost | £3.00 (OAP/Children £1.50) |
THE BALLET CO.
“NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING”
Music by P. I. Tchaikovsky
- Virginia Guy
- Helen Brennen
- Verity Fry
- Dominic Marshall
- Alan Watson
- Michael Bassett - Musical Director
- Janet Lewis - Artistic Director
Hoffmann’s original story, “Nutcracker and the Mouse King” is the history of Young Drosselmeyer and his feud with the Seven Headed Mouse King. It is a captivating tale of great charm in which the music and choreography unite to suggest the beauty and romance of a fairy tale land.
Janet Lewis’s production for British Ballet Theatre was acclaimed as a ‘welcome return to the old Petipa version ‘(The Stage)’ and ‘prettily designed sets and costumes’ (The Times).
For The Ballet Co. she uses much of that original choreography and takes up the story from where the Young Drosselmeyer — The Nutcracker has rescued his sweetheart Marie by slaying the Mouse King.
Enchanted by his gallantry Marie quickly consents to visit his kingdom. Together they travel through sparkling Christmas Tree woods, meet the Snow Queen and her Prince and are showered with gifts.
Young Drosselmeyer’s kingdom is The Kingdom of Sweets, dances from Spain, Arabia, China and the Waltz of the Sugar Roses represent coffee and chocolate confection, delicate sugar icing and tea to clear the palette.
Marie is captivated and charmed by The Nutcracker’s gentle manner and courteous bearing and falls in love. They dance the traditional Grand pas de Deux and Marie is now Queen of an extraordinary land. A land where all the most beautiful, the most wonderful things can only be seen by those who have eyes to see them.
The company are a group of dancers with an international reputation. Virginia Guy comes from Australia, Verity Fry trained in England but she and Helen Brennen have danced in many European cities. Dominic Marshall has been a soloist in Scandinavian Ballet, whilst Alan Watson has been a member of a Berlin Ballet Company. The musical director Michael Bassett has been guest conductor for the Northern Ballet Theatre and the London Festival Ballet. He has appeared on television with Margot Fonteyn in “The Magic of Dance”.
Notes
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