The Russian Stanislavski Ballet's Nutcracker at the Point on Friday has all the magic and charm that the previous night's production of Swan Lake lacked.
Not only has Natalia Ledovskaya the most perfect arabesques, but she also has a radiant, childlike quality that makes her equally convincing as the child heroine and as the fairy tale princess. Just as delightful is Victor Dik as the Nutcracker prince, boyishly swinging his partner around, yet with a classical elegance to the great leaps in his solo, landing lightly and soundlessly except where he was betrayed by the dreadful Point stage, where certain boards are like those in a wrestling ring, miked to make the throws sound more violent.
Children will love this production, as the story is clearly told, from the puppet show and conjuring tricks of the Christmas party scene, excellently performed by Anton Domashev as Drosselmeier and well danced by his three "puppets", to the moment when Masha wakes in her chair at the end of all her adventures. They will love the dream boat which takes her and her prince to their enchanted isle and are unlikely to notice the things which bothered me, such as the most unsnowflakelike movements of the Snowflakes in their overstiff and shiny tutus.
The dances in Act 2, on the other hand, were attractively costumed by Anna and Anatoly Nezhny and well performed, especially the Spanish and Russian dances, while the Tchaikovsky score, with its celeste solo for the Sugar Plum Fairy, worked its familiar magic, with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Georgy Zhemchuzhin. A most enjoyable evening.