PREVIEW
Shumka’s Nutcracker
Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 23 at 2 p.m.
Ukrainian Shumka Dancers
Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
11455 – 87 Ave.
Tickets: $22 to $95. Visit www.ticketmaster.ca
The Nutcracker first appeared in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892. Due to its raging popularity today, it’s hard to believe, but the original ballet premiere was hardly a success.
Choreographer George Balanchine introduced his version to New York audiences in the mid-1950s and it’s become a template for all interpretations across North America including Ukrainian Shumka Dancers.
Today people flock to see the Shumka’s Nutcracker because it’s as much a part of the Christmas tradition as visiting Santa Claus or driving to Candy Cane Lane.
Set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic composition, E.T.A. Hoffman’s story is told through a unique mix of Ukrainian character dance and ballet.
Running for three performances on Dec. 22 and 23 at Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Shumka’s dreamy hybrid brings together 50 professional dancers, 13 students from Shumka’s School of Dance and the Friends of Shumka Choir.
The Kyiv Ballet’s principal dancers Tetyana Lozova and Yarosalv Tkachuk return as Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, respectively.
“They’re very precise in their partnering and they have a lot of heart. Anyone who has the pleasure of seeing them dance experiences the passion and heart they bring. The emotion they pour into the show amplifies their dancing 1,000 per cent,” says artistic associate Joe Hoffman.
Shumka alumnus Jeffrey Mortensen reprises the role of Fritz, and Hoffman, a Sturgeon County resident, slips seamlessly into the role of Herr Drosselmeier.
Unlike some versions where Herr Drosselmeier is a hunchbacked, cranky old toymaker, Hoffman’s character is a younger, more mischievous magician.
“He comes in as the puppet master and stops the world. He manipulates the world as he sees it. Clara doesn’t react the same way others do. He recognizes something special in her and sets her up for an adventure,” Hoffman says.
This is Hoffman’s second go at playing Drosselmeier and he’s charming audiences. Ironically, he nearly turned down the role.
“The role needed a strong ballet background and it took me out of my comfort zone. Ballet is not my forte. I come from a character dancing background. I come from Fort McMurray and there was not a lot of technical support available.”
But the powers that be had faith in Hoffman’s ability to handle the principal role. He hit the ground running and has never stopped.
Every year Shumka’s Nutcracker is tweaked about 20 per cent and reworked with either new dance choreography, different characters, added costumes and props or spectacular special effects.
“I’ve never seen a show like it. It has elegance and opulence. The director has gone to great lengths to tell the story that gives a sense of pure elegance and Christmas wonder. The idea of a 20-foot tree and roaring fire is amazing.”
“There’s the flair and energy of Ukrainian dancing and through ballet we experience Ukrainian folk ballet. It’s very exciting to watch from top to bottom, and besides, it’s a great story to tell.”
