The Nutcracker takes a step back with new scenes and some new stitching

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The much-loved and spectacular The Nutcracker from Les Grands Ballets returns to the Place des Arts after a year’s absence, playing from December 9 to 28 at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.

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More accurately, the second half of The Nutcracker, Clara’s Journey, is back, with the Les Grands Ballet Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s family soundtrack as Clara and her prince travel to the Land of Sweets. A completely new first half, The Enchanted Gift, has been created by the company’s artistic director, Ivan Cavallari, and set to the music of South America’s most famous classical composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos.

The reason for such a drastic change – you won’t be surprised to hear it – is the logistical challenge that the pandemic still presents for public performances. The party scenes and mouse wars of the first half of the ballet traditionally involve participating children. But this year, with those under 12 not yet fully vaccinated and unable to join adults on stage, Cavallari has had to do a radical rethink.

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The Enchanted Gift is a recognizable part of the Nutcracker universe, as it involves a Professor Christmas creating the kind of living, dancing toys that Herr Drosselmeyer usually delivers. So the absence of children also makes sense in narrative terms; After all, they wouldn’t want Christmas to be spoiled looking at their presents, would they?

Costume manager Mélanie Ferrero and her army of seamstresses have a battle on their hands at the best of times, with hundreds of costumes going through major repairs and adjustments. While the core design of the company’s Nutcracker has remained the same since the show was reinvented in 1987 (23 years after Fernand Nault first choreographed it) , this year’s changes have added a new front to the battle.

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For the first act, says Ferrero, “we went through the warehouse (of Les Grands Ballets) with the artistic director. We work very closely with him and build around his ideas. There are many nice and funny characters, like Pinocchio with the extension of his nose. ”

Ferrero is reluctant to reveal too much about these additional characters, many of whom are from existing ballets (hence the company warehouse search). But he promises that it will be “fantastic and fun.”

Another major challenge is that the disruptions associated with the COVID crisis have resulted in a 30 percent loss of Ferrero’s team.

“That meant we lost the entire experience of doing The Nutcracker year after year after year,” says Ferrero. “So now, with new people, it’s about being more alert and aware of who is doing what. Because we were a solid team and now we have to rebuild it. It’s more challenging, but I’m very happy with the way things are going. “

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Going back to The Nutcracker every year, Ferrero says, “It was always like putting our old sneakers back on. Now our old sneakers aren’t exactly the same as they were … but it’s just another kind of adrenaline rush, right? ”

Ferrero, who joined the company in 2004 after a two-year stint at Cirque du Soleil, worked for more than a decade alongside legendary costume designer François Barbeau, the man behind That 1987 reimagining of The Nutcracker .

“Every year we would sit together in a dress rehearsal and watch each character, and do some designs,” says Ferrero. “This was something that François liked a lot, because he never had the opportunity to do it in other theatrical productions or in movies.

“In 1987, when they did the design for The Nutcracker, they had nine months to create these costumes. It was a nightmare to have a great, great production to produce in such a short time. So, of course, some things were not done to his satisfaction. After 30 years, you can’t remake things with the same fabrics as before, because things have evolved. You go with the wave of evolution. “

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Barbeau died in 2016, but Ferrero insists that when it comes to the never-ending business of decorating The Nutcracker, his spirit lives on. She doesn’t mean it literally, of course. Or she? Ferrero closes with an anecdote that in itself would be a delicious Christmas ballet.

“For the first few years (after Barbeau died), we were in the basement, getting the costumes ready, and suddenly there was a fly. This was in mid-October, in November. He was constantly there, attending every test. Then we said to each other: ‘That must have been François.’ “

TAKE A LOOK

The Nutcracker: Clara’s Journey It will be presented from December 9 to 28 at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier de Place des Arts. Tickets: $ 50 to $ 149. Call 514-842-2112 or visit placedesarts.com.

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The Danse Danse season continues this week with the Vancouver BC Ballet presenting a trio of pieces from December 1-4 at the Théâtre Maisonneuve de Place des Arts. Among them are Garden, by the artistic director of the company, Medhi Walerski; techno rave style Bedroom Folk by choreographer Sharon Eyal and musician Gai Behar, which has proven to be one of Ballet BC’s most successful touring productions; and The Statement, a Kafka-style mix of drama and dance from the remarkable and award-winning Crystal Pite. Call 514-842-2112 or visit placedesarts.com.

Montreal dance legend Marie Chouinard revives her typically unique version of Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps from December 7-11 at Usine C, 1345 Lalonde Ave. First presented in 1993, it dispenses with the original narrative of a sacrificed Chosen dancing herself. to death and dreams of his own myth of creating sexual and animal energy that bursts into existence. Call 514-521-4493 or visit usine-c.com.

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Postponed twice due to the pandemic, Heather Mah’s Pomegranate finally arrives at the MAI center, 3680 Jeanne-Mance St., December 2-4. Mah dances a solo piece that evokes her grandmother’s arduous journey from China to Canada. The 2pm Saturday presentation includes an audio description service for the visually impaired. Call 514-982-1812 or visit mai.qc.ca.

Award-winning choreographer Mélanie Demers continues her exploration of dance and the spoken word with Confession Publique, performing until December 4 at La Chapelle, 3700 St-Dominique St. The bilingual production features Angélique Willkie offering a raw and intimate confessional. Call 514-843-7738 or visit lachapelle.org.

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