“The Art Deco Nutcracker” reviewed by CJ Hyland

Recommended *** Whether you are a fan of Art Deco or not, I think it’s pretty safe to say that you can recognize it when you see it. This iconic style of visual arts, architecture and design, first appeared in France in the early 1920’s and took its name from the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris in 1925. Combining fine craftsmanship and rich materials with modern styles, it came to represent luxury, glamour, exuberance and the future. United by the desire to be modern, Art Deco is a pastiche, borrowing from many differing styles and cultures including the bold geometrics of Cubism, the bright jewel-tones of Fauvism, and the exotic styles of China, Arabia, and Mexico.

A perfect visual representation of it’s time, the Art Deco period was an era of rich social, artistic and cultural collaboration with a proliferation of art, music, poetry and dance, including a renewal of ballet. Given all of that, could there be a more interesting or more fitting time period to choose as the basis for a re-imagined version of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet? If this idea has you intrigued than you are in luck, because that’s exactly what Anna Reznik and Alexei Kremnev, founders of A&A Ballet Center for Dance, have created for us and are mounting at the Studebaker Theater in Downtown Chicago this weekend.

Founded in 2016 by Reznik and Kremnev, formerly of the Joffrey Academy and Joffrey Studio Company, A&A Ballet is dedicated to pre-professional ballet instruction and devoted to developing strong, versatile dance technique with an eye on fostering personality, independence and artistry in their dancers. Set firmly in the heritage and ritual of Russian ballet but with a deep understanding of the most progressive approaches of dance employed today, A&A is a company moved by both tradition and innovation, with a commitment to both preserving the legacy of the past while pushing the creative future of ballet dance. Employing this artistic approach, Kremnev has given us a captivating new Nutcracker Ballet that incorporates everything one loves about the traditional with all the glitz, glamour and style modern of the Art Deco age, and it is truly a feast for the senses.

Right from the start, The Art Deco Nutcracker, set in the Années Folles of the 20’s, magically whisks the audience away to the Paris of Gertrude Stein, F. Scott and Zelda and Josephine Baker, with a set that looks like any grand salon on the Left Bank. This performance begins, like any good Nutcracker should, with a party on Christmas Eve. Guests gather festooned in elegant party garb redolent of the time, streamlined, jewel-toned gowns for the ladies, tops and tails for the gentlemen, and begin a series of stunningly choreographed and technically skilled dances that showcase both the younger and more experienced dancers alike.

Alexei Kremnev excelled as the magical and mysterious Drosselmeyer, blending power and technical mastery with tenderness and grace in a combination befitting such an enigmatic character. Diana Stetsura was flawless as the glamourous Mrs. Stahlbaum and the maid, danced captivatingly by Tricia Carmody, brought both fine technical skill and levity to the whole affair. The Dance of the Devil, performed by Abigail Dudich, wearing an outrageous red number complete with cloven hooves, was a new Nutcracker experience for me, and one both finely executed and demonically delicious. Trinity Santoro was enchanting in the role of Clara and danced flawlessly all evening, partnered impeccably by Michael Sayre as the Prince. The two had such charisma on stage and were a delight to watch jump, lift and pirouette their way through the evening. Without a doubt though, the younger dancers, costumed adorably as rats, stole the first act. A more loveable legion of rodents you are not likely to find, and they utterly charmed the audience with their antics and shenanigans.

The second act was another visually stunning affair, with sets that look like something out of a Thomas Kinkaid picture. Moon drenched fields of evergreens, lantern-lit fairy dwellings perched high in the trees, snow-covered Paris streets, the projections designed by Alex Gendal, were soft and ethereal and set the scene perfectly for the dancing on display.

Wearing a fantastically be-jeweled costume that glittered and sparkled with every perfect plie, Gabriel Hartman, was a joy to watch in the astonishingly lithe and liber Arabian solo. Similarly, Aiden Moss and Abigail Dudich, as the Chinese dancers, partnered by a fantastic dragon puppet, danced by Grace Kurtz-Nelson and Vonne Roden, was a dervish of high-powered leaps and leg work, astounding the audience with their athletic prowess. Mother Ginger, hysterically portrayed by Jane Monzures, was fun and frivolity incarnate in her enormous gold dress, large enough to encase a cadre of young rhythmic gymnasts who entertained all with hoops, batons, ribbons and all manner of incredible body contortions. And, of course, Autumn Steed, as the Sugar Plum Fairy was radiant.

I’d be remiss if I did not also mention the choreography and the costuming which are equally integral to the success of this gorgeous piece. The dance this evening was both exacting and elegant, combining the technical mastery you’d expect from a former Bolshoi student with the innovation and excitement that are the hallmarks of Kremnev’s works. His seamless blending of music and movement create for a magical evening of dance, and are the true definition of poetry in motion. Equally the costuming this evening, designed by Laura Skarich, was a sight to behold. Colorfully party attire, charming baby rats, exotic foreign wear and whimsical fairy frocks all added to the magical sophistication of the evening and were a perfect complement to Kremnev’s movements and the ballet as a whole.

The Art Deco Nutcracker is a fabulously fun frolic of an evening. In true Art Deco style, A&A Ballet has given us a work of dance rooted in the classics but with a firm eye boldly looking into the future. Suffuse with vitality, impressive dance and true joy of the season this ballet is a treasure well set to become a holiday tradition. I know I’ll certainly be back next year! The performances continue this week-end ONLY.

Tickets range from $30-$50 and can be purchased at www.aacenterfordance.org/box-office.  12/7 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and 12/8 at 2 p.m.

The Studbaker Theatre is located at 410 S. Michigan Avenue.