THE NUTCRACKER choreography by James Kudelka. Presented by the National Ballet of Canada at the Four Seasons Centre (145 Queen West). Opens Saturday (December 11) and runs to January 2 see website for details. $31.50-$115.50, some discounts. 416-345-9595, ballet.ca. See dance listing.
If you haven’t heard some mall muzak version of Tchaikovsky’s Dance Of The Flowers this season, you’ve got dozens of chances to hear – and see – the real thing.
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That’s when the National Ballet of Canada brings back James Kudelka’s acclaimed Nutcracker, now celebrating its 15th anniversary.
“It seems all nice and wintry and cozy, but it’s as difficult as any ballet,” says principal dancer Aleksandar Antonijevic, who performed in the family-friendly show that first year and pretty much every season since.
This year, he’s helping to teach the ballet to several dancers, many of whom are new to their roles.
“I was rehearsing with some new people, and you can see them struggle,” he says. “James is known for the difficulty of his choreography, with some uncomfortable grips. There are something like 60 kids coming on and off. Snow is falling down. You have a gazillion stagehands moving these elaborate sets.
“Plus, of course, the most difficult part, the pas de deux, comes at the end, when you’re exhausted. And through it all you have to keep this smile on your face.”
In this staging, Santo Loquasto’s sparkling sets and costumes get as big an ovation as the dancing.
“It’s still quite the spectacle,” says Antonijevic, who recently performed in the Canadian premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Chroma. “It hasn’t aged at all. But there are some things you might not know.”
For instance, because of the set’s weight, the floor has had to be reinforced with extra support.
“That added linoleum surface is hard and doesn’t have much of a grip, so a lot of times you have to work to hold yourself so you don’t fall.”
Have there been mishaps over the past decade and a half?
“Oh yeah,” says Antonijevic, who recently mounted his first photography exhibit. He got started about a year ago shooting rehearsals of the company on tour.
“There have been times when the curtain wouldn’t go down or wouldn’t open. I recall dancing the first half of the show’s snow trio behind a curtain because something got stuck.”
But, knock on The Nutcracker’s wood, the Yugoslavia-born artist has managed to avoid any serious injuries throughout his two decades with the company. Chalk it up to solid training by Russian masters.
“I think that training made me strong when I was young,” he says. “You need the muscle system to support the bones and joints. And these days, as in any sport, I cross-train to last and survive.
“Plus, I’ve been blessed with good genes that have allowed my body to continue. I’m not too broken.”
Additional Interview Clips
Antonijevic on the challenges for the corps in dancing The Nutcracker:
On the prospect of retiring one day:
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