Colorado Ballet The Nutcracker
Photo by Terry Shapiro.
Tis the season for the Colorado Ballet’s performance of the Nutcracker. The holiday show tells the classic tale of a young girl’s dreamlike encounter with life-size mice, a land of sweets and of course meeting her dashing prince that guides her through the adventure. The Colorado Ballet’s whimsical performance is top of the line. The 50 person cast beams energy, poise and drama making sure you are nothing but entranced the entire show.
Masterful choreography, colorful culture and complex sets combine with Tchaikovsky’s score performed by the Colorado Ballet Orchestra. Dancers prove athleticism and grace coincide with technique most can only dream about. At one point, performers twirl in a sparkling winter wonderland as snow falls from the sky. Culture bursts with the celebration of sweets and dances dedicated to chocolate from Spain, coffee from Arabia and tea from China. There is even room for comedic elements. The audience rolled with laughter when the larger than life “Mother Ginger” busts out some unconventional dance moves.
Artistic Director, Gil Boggs, is behind the magic. Boggs started as a dancer, performing with the Atlanta Ballet Theater starting in 1974. He left the stage to work at a golf academy but couldn’t resist the world of dance. He has been with the Colorado Ballet for five and half years. He says one of the most satisfying parts of his job is giving younger dancers the chance to take it the next level and show what they are capable of.
The Colorado Ballet has seen outstanding attendance records with some sold out and other nearly sold out shows. Boggs says the numbers don’t surprise him because the dancers are committed to performing and come in fresh every night. The dancers in the cast come from around the globe and represent Cuba, Russia, Japan, Canada and France.
Shows run at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the Denver Performing Arts Complex through Christmas Eve. For tickets please visit: https://tickets.coloradoballet.org/single/psDetail.aspx?psn=104 ]
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Next, the Colorado Ballet will bring Peter Pan to the stage. There will be 10 performances on weekends starting February 24th and running through March 4th.
