Party Scene

Nutcracker moments

I was glad to revisit George Balanchine’s “Nutcracker” a few weeks into its run at New York City Ballet. Every year one notices different nuances. This year, I’m particularly touched by the grandparents in the party scene, especially Quinn Starner’s grandmother, who seems so delighted, so involved, so full of love for her son (whom she keeps fussing over) and grandchildren and husband. Watching her interact with all the characters, a bit stiff-in-the-knee but still full of fun—and not a caricature—evokes such memories of holidays past. The grandparents we all wish we had, or have, or remember having. And Harrison Coll’s Drosselmeier, too: he’s a real person, elegant and witty, with a natural affinity for children. The way he gently lifts Marie’s arm as she sleeps in order to take the nutcracker doll and fix it, then, after considering placing it back in the little nutcracker bed, decides instead to return it to its nook under her arm, is a portrait in tenderness. (Coll has practically grown up in this production, performing every role from kid in the party scene to Nutcracker Prince to Cavalier.) What can I say about Mira Nadon’s Dewdrop that hasn’t been said already? She flies, she hovers, she balances, she jumps straight up while stirring one leg before her, she rushes downstage through a crowd of dancers, all with an insouciance and grandeur that take your breath away. Dancers like Nadon are why we come back to the theater again and again. Photos by Erin Baiano