Utah Ballet presents The Original Nutcracker, 2nd Act and two new works on the Hayes Christensen stage (SLC: Dec 8-10)

Utah Ballet presents The Original Nutcracker,
2nd Act and two new works on the
Hayes Christensen stage

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See the Nutcracker as you’ve never seen it before! The University of Utah Department of Ballet presents their fall concert highlighting the extraordinary range of the Company Dec. 1-3rd & 8-10th. Directed by Assistant Professor Regina Zarhina, the audience will enjoy multiple styles of ballet ranging from contemporary and modern to classical in this beautiful production, including the Nutcracker 2nd act in its original story.

The concert holds a lot of exciting “firsts” for Utah Ballet including a premier of a large-scale production of their our own, original 2nd act of the beloved Peter Tchaikovsky ballet and holiday classic, the Nutcracker.  With extravagant costumes designed by Alexander Okun and beautifully realized by Steve Rasmussen, the production takes the audience deep into the Toy Kingdom where the Nutcracker and the Mouse King battle. Mrs. Zarhina, who created original choreography for this thrilling version of the Nutcracker said about the work, “I chose to give our dancers an opportunity to participate in the ‘story’ ballet, to create characters, to explore acting, to participate in an ensemble effort to communicate the story through physical means, as was prescribed to us by Jean George Noverre way back in the 18th century.  In creating this ballet, I have taken into consideration the newly found physicality of today’s dancers and married it to the aesthetic requirement of classical ballet.” 
The first half of the concert presents breathtaking new work from two local choreographers who worked with the company on contemporary and modern ballets that are as diverse and they are entertaining.  The first, CTL/ALT/DEL is a contemporary ballet by a recent MFA graduate from the Department of Ballet, Terry Sekiguchi Davis. Her ballet is a jiggered and jagged commentary on the rapid rhythms of contemporary existence. Although based on classical vocabulary and set to Baroque music, the quality and the speed of Terry’s movements makes an impression of nothing of the sort; it stretches and extends traditional ballet language until it becomes a perfectly modern communication device, the kind that permits and invites a dialogue with today’s audience.

reMain:modify is the work by the brilliant Eldon Johnson.  A noted Odyssey Dance Theatre member, Eldon’s physical beauty and prowess are unique and even somewhat mystifying. But there is more to Eldon: in his rather cerebral approach to choreography, he demonstrates an acute understanding and vivid imagination in regards to the purely physical powers of movement. His ability to “translate” modern movement, by breaking it down and pointing out both similarities and contrasts with the ballet movement, makes him an ideal collaborator for our classically trained company.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see Utah Ballet Dec. 1-3rd & 8-10th, in the Hayes Christensen Theatre in the Marriott Center for Dance on the university of Utah campus.  Thursday shows begin at 5:30, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30, and Saturday matinees at 2:00PM. Tickets are $12 general, $8 U of U faculty and seniors, U of U students free with valid student ID. For tickets go KINGTIX.ORG or 801.581.7100. More info at www.finearts.utah.edu.