You can dance if you want to...

I've seen many Nutcrackers in my time and still love the story! I love Clara's battle with the Rat King, I love the Spanish dance and the Russian dance..oh and the Chinese...oh oh and the Arabian! The whole second act is amazing, and so is the first. The Snowflakes are always beautiful, and even if they aren't the music is stunning. I even love the Fantasia versions, who couldn't love the little mushrooms or be entranced by the angel fish.

Each production is different and offers a new take on a timeless classic with endless fantastic interpretations. This is traditionally the biggest show of the season gets the most financial and creative attention. Each production reflects the talents and focus of each company, so no two Nutcrackers will ever be the same making it fun to see over and over again. The choreography of the Texas Ballet is incredible, the Austin Ballet is...awful actually, and the Denver Ballet is hilarious.

This was the funniest version I have ever seen. The mice were hilarious, the Russians were amusing, and the highlight was the Chinese dragon that had every kid in the audience laughing.

Alex liked it too!

Now for the harsh part, their focus on comedy was apparent. Clearly this was meant as a family event. However, I do not think that kid-friendly conflicts with challenging choreography. The Spanish dance was forgettable, as was the Marzipan. Dances that are traditionally duets were trios, and the additional dancer was never beneficial. The Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier were disappointing at best. Actually no, the were even more awful then their terrible choreography. They first had a two minute dance, then the Fairy danced for a minute, then the Cavalier, and the two of them again. I was surprised by the Cavalier's sloppy performance since his bio boasted his training with the Kirov Ballet Academy. The only greater waste of time was the female dancer in the Russian trio who was literally wearing heels and did no dancing whatsoever. And yet the greatest annoyance was this, they called him the Mouse King! He is the Rat King, has always been, will always be, can only ever be The Rat King. Having been a mouse with rats and a rat king, I have a big ole soft spot for these guys. And despite this terrible faux-pas, it is because of them that I can wholeheartedly recommend this show.

I would absolutely recommend this as a family outing. The mice/rat are hilarious! The Dragon was fun! This is a great first ballet for anyone, and a perfect first experience for any kid to be introduced one of the most beautiful art forms.  

Also they had a photographer available to take Christmas photos, so that was fun.