REVIEW: Syracuse City Ballet impressively reimagines holiday classic

By Katie Hopsicker

Photo courtesy Syracuse City Ballet

Lady meringues and gumdrop royalty pirouette in the Kingdom of Sweets. A rat army shakes and shimmies around the stage. Last weekend the Syracuse City Ballet presented a progressive yet pleasant Nutcracker, reimagining the holiday classic.

Artistic Director Aldo Kattón's choreography was smart. While the ballet's technique and certain phrases were influenced by the historic Marius Petipa, Kattón's style was a breath of fresh air, giving the ballet an updated and current feel. Many changes, like the replacement of Arabian with Princess Caramel, were effective. And some were not. The rat army's movements felt almost like a trivial Tik Tok dance, with the addition of a sassy and unnecessary Rat Witch character.

But the second half of the show exercised Kattón's choreographic ambition and the dancers' talents. Difficult lifts, turn sections, and passes generated thunderous applause from the audience.

Standout performances included that of Reynu Wood (Clara), whose technique and innocent performance characterized Clara impressively, Claire Solis (Sugar Plum Queen), who embodied an aura of effortlessness in her solos and duets, Truman Tinius (Duke Candy Cane), who soared when he jumped, and Lucy Hamilton (Empress Macaron Lemon Drop), who executed a jaw-dropping amount of Italian fouettes with ease.

The impressive nature of the ballet was unexpected yet pleasing, and it's too bad performances were held only one weekend throughout the holiday season. Syracuse is always a wonderful city to experience at Christmastime, but the ballet makes it that much better.