Dancing, music, set all sparkle in `Nutcracker’ performance

Dance review

The wonder of a child’s imagination at Christmastime came to life when the Robinson Ballet and Bangor Symphony Orchestra teamed up for their yearly offering of “The Nutcracker” at the Maine Center for the Arts on Saturday and Sunday. Dancing to the rich sounds of the BSO, the Robinson Ballet showed energy, imagination and talent as they presented the well-loved fantasy about Clara and her lively Christmas dreams.

The past few weeks of marathon rehearsals and blistered toes paid off as the dancers moved carefully and gracefully, offering a delightful evening of entertainment.

As the Sugar Plum Fairy, principal dancer Maureen Lynch moved with breathtaking accuracy and confidence. Similarly, Heinrick Snyder has reached an admirable level of maturity with his craft and was a pleasure to watch in a variety of roles. In particular, however, his modern ballet combination with Shelli Illingworth during an Arabian divertissment showed the range of his talent. Illingworth’s sensual performance was also impressive. Mesmerizing flexibility and exoticism made her contribution most memorable.

Appearing in several different roles, Kelly Holyoke showed her reliable energy and clean style. And Ivy Forrest as a harlequin doll and a reed-pipe player brought alacrity and a teasing playfulness to her characters. The show would have been incomplete without the sorcerous facial expressions and waving arms of Palmer Libby as the magical Councilor Drosselmayer.

The divertissements were particularly colorful thanks to costume designers Jeanne-Marie Aubert, Chere O’Leary DuPont and Susan Mills.

A large contingent of young ballet students were also a highlight of the show. As Clara, Christine Bragg seemed continually thrilled by her extravagant dream, and, as her brother Fritz, Alexander Zendzian proved his skills as a dancer.

The sophistication of this fully staged ballet has long deserved an elegant set, and designer Wayne Merritt has come through with flying colors. The audience ooh-ed and ah-ed when the curtain rose on the sparkling holiday scene at the Silberhaus home, where a glittering Christmas tree and a grandfather clock with wing-like arms decorated the stage. The dreamscape scenes of wintery snowlands and towering candy canes enchanted viewers young and old. Except for some technical awkwardness, the set was a successful and lovely addition to the pleasurable performance.