Before starting the tour, a lot of attention were paid for Kumakawa's production.Especially for the collaboration with Ms.Yolanda Sonnabend and Mr. Leslie Travers again,and the direction how to approach the fairy tale. Kumakawa and K Ballet members showed us the magic and the reality of a new fairy tale gland ballet "The Nutcracker"surely through the tour.

During 19th.century,in a world of doll's company,the dolls often battled with mice.Princess Mary(Kazue Yasumura/Yuko Arai/Yasuko Higashino/Rina Kambe)lived in a doll company, she was going to marry her fiance soon, just at the happiest moments in her life,she was changed into a mouse by the spell of mouse king(Carlos Martin/or Shuntaro Miyao).The only one of the way for removing the curse was to crack the most hardest nut in the universe. Therefore,Herr Drosselmeyer(Stuart Cassidy) had a mission given by the King(Gavin Fitzpatrick) and Queen(Yuko Amano)of doll's company. Taking with the Nutcracker(Tetsuya Kumakawa /or Nozomu Haga) that was also changed by the curse, her fiance, Herr Drosselmeyer was going to seek the pure heart(Clara,performed by Ayako Nakahira/Rina Kambe/Satomi Soi)who could only crack the nut for the human world,changed himself into a watchmaker bringing a new clock for the Christmas party, given by the Stahlbaums.

As the prologue,we could see first the dynamic drawing paint by Ms.Sonnabend,a big flying clock...as if it had wings to fly to the another world with very forceful touch. And there was a portrait of Princess and Prince (fiance)on the center of stage,Kazue Yasumura, Princess Mary appeared so graceful and happy look. Then suddenly from her back the mouse king appeared,she was changed to be a mouse...and the portrait also instantly changed into a mouse princess and the nutcracker soldier.

At the act1,the set was like a jewel box. Clara's house made by metals outside but the inside was very warm woodwork. Like a revolving door, brilliantly Dr.Shtahlbum's parlour was appeared.There were ladies and gentlemen,elderly man sitting on wheelchair and his wife,Clara's father(Gavin Fitzpatrick,double role),mother(Yuko Amano,double role),her brother Fritz(Pietro Peliccia /or Takeru Anzai) and friends in the Christmas party.It seemed a lot of details were particular to perform the gestures of all characters, from the children to the adults, their costumes, and the different custom like a way of turning off the lights with covers in 19th century.

First of all,I would like to praise the position of Herr Drosselmeyer in Kumakawa direction. Stuart Cassidy performed this role as a very fantastic dreamy guide of Clara and the connector of two of worlds, Clara's reality of human world and the doll's world, yes, this production had the two dimension world clearly than ever.Cassidy's Herr Drosselmeyer was a so warm hearty gentleman and also a mysterious watchmaker and a powerful magician. He danced with children joyfully, with gentlemen elegantly at the party and more danced with Clara through the performance, there were a lot of scene Drosselmeyer danced. During the party he stopped the time and only Clara could see an angel. Drosselmeyer found she was the girl he sought,then he manipulated the puppet play(performed by K Ballet School students)for Clara to enlighten the emergency of doll's company.

In Kumakawa direction,the five puppets appeared and they were important roles to tell the real story happened in the doll's company for Clara and the audience.The little king of doll and the queen of doll loved the little princess Mary so much ,then she was changed to a mouse.The little Nutcracker and the king of mouse battled intensely...after the battle,her face could be returned to lovely look.

Though there were some opinions to feel sad that expected to see the excellent dance by soloists, I felt the storyline and the reason became so clear by this puppet play why Clara went to the doll's company. In the midnight, Clara came down to the parlour to see the Nutcracker given by Drosselmeyer and she was threatened by mice.The mice took the Nutcracker out of Clara and ran into the clock,which was just the entrance into the doll's and the mice's company. Though she hesitated to chase them first,taking all of her courage,Clara ran after the Nutcracker and mice,jumped into the clock.

Immediately by Drosselmeyer's magic the audience could fly to the another world,just to the second reality of dream...the Christmas tree in a middle of the parlour moved out of the stage...then feet of a giant tree came down, big presents slid into the stage,and at last a brilliant gold clock appeared hung from the foreground of the ceiling. The audience came to imagine the size of immense tree that was the biggest one than ever amazingly only by seeing the feet of tree! That huge tree and the magical space I had not seen, had not felt as ever, as if I got lost in a small country just the same as Clara(Ayako Nakahira).

From the entrance of the clock,carried by mice,the Nutcracker,Tetsuya Kumakawa appeared. As a toy soldier, he battled against mice with his army.The battle scene was very exciting and fun to see.The toy cannons fired small shells to mice, a giant cheese flied down against the Nutcracker by mice's spoon lever and the king of mouse,Carlos Martin swung around his long tail as a lash. Clara rushed into this place and found a big stick candy, desperately caught it on the neck of mouse king. By this damage, the spell of mouse king weakened a little,the face of prince first appeared.The illusion of princess Mary also appeared and implored a help for Clara to crack the hardest nut for them.Guided by illusion of princess Mary,the Nutcracker prince and Drosselmeyer,Clara next jumped to the land of snow.

The scene of the land of snow was the most fantastic beautiful scene in Kumakawa production. By Ms.Sonnabend and Mr.Travers,and the stuff's efforts,the cave of ice was appeared marvelously. The queen of snow, Rie Matsuoka(or Kayo Nagata)and the king of snow,Takuya Wajima(or Nozomu Haga) had dignity and danced sharply and lightly.
The choreography of snowflakes was so speedy and crisp that we could feel the severe snow,almost one tone or one count was equal to one pas.One flow of movement corresponded one passage, very speedy even there might be people that was so busy and so tight to dance. However the corps de ballet became one and I thought they were all perfect,they were really beautiful worth applauding. Especially as snowflakes, Kayo Nagata,Yasuko Higashino,Rina Kambe,Kinue Kobayashi and Satomi Soi were excellent.We could remember the real snow that was not only romantic but that had the freezing,icy snowflakes,the severeness of nature.Through the land of snow which they said in a Christmas tree,Clara went her way to the land of dolls.

In Act 2,the king of doll,the queen of doll grieved over the curse.At the opening of Act2,the spell had not been removed yet.The dolls in the country also had not regained. Herr Drosselmeyer and the Nutcracker introduced Clara to the king and the queen. Clara took them for her parents momentarily. Though the king of mouse carried out an invasion upon the doll's country again,the Nutcracker took the weapon away from the mouse king and put him into a jail. Getting the weapon of mouse king that was only the weapon to crack the nut, Drosselmeyer begged Clara to crack the nut. Clara finally cracked the nut and the Nutcracker became a prince, and princess Mary also woke up with happiest smile.

In Kumakawa production,Clara was the Savor rather than an adolescent girl who fold in love with the Nutcracker. So,the relationship with the prince was not so tight like Baryshinikov production. I thought their relationship was similar to the relation of the Prince and Clara in Royal Ballet, Peter Wright production. Princess Mary corresponded to the Sugar Plum Fairy. I thought it was challenging that Tetsuya created two of dimension clearly and the story was told and continued very well. However,Kumakawa production also has not become the completely same story of E.T.A.Hoffmann. Partly it had same contents,and another half was the originality of Kumakawa production's "The Nutcracker".As you know,in E.T.A.Hoffmann's story, the cousin of Drosselmeyer had the hardest nut in his house, and his son...the nephew of Drosselmeyer could crack the nut. Therefore,the nephew of Drosselmeyer became the Nutcracker. I think there are few of people to know about this original story in Japan. Even the people who had seen the Royal Ballet's "The Nutcracker",might not know the original story,I am ashamed to say this,at least I was so.

As gratitude, Clara was suggested to live as a princess of doll's company during one day. She and Drosselmeyer enjoyed the various doll's dance.

Arabic dolls danced by Rie Matsuoka(or Kazue Yasumura/Yuki Shibata),Carlos Martin,Steven Windsor fascinated the audience.The choreography of Arabic dance were also excellent and difficult movements. Their mysterious luring dance changed the atmosphere of hall instantly. I could feel the audiences gazed upon one point. Fortunately I could see three casts,Yasumura also left a strong impression for me.

Spanish dolls danced by Miho Tsurutani,Shiori Asakawa,Ricki Bertoni,David Skelton.Wearing bright orange costume,they danced so passionately.Like the sun of Spain,their dance were shining with full of delight,changed the atmosphere like sunny days. It was good that the female dancers danced with black toe shoes using point works.

Chinese dolls danced by Kinue Kobayashi(or Mayuko Maeda),Yoshiaki Kobayashi.Their costumes and movements were so cute and so lovely. Kinue used folding fan very well and their mixture of movements left me one of comfortable sense like a good aroma of jasmine tea

Russian dolls danced by Kazuya Tanaka,Piotr Kopka. How many audience did admire their powerful dance? Amazingly continued high jumping and incredible strong foot works were there. Holding their buttocks on the air, keeping the balance so well,their feet were raised to the knees without hands at all.

French dolls performed by Yuko Arai,Rina Kambe,Satomi Soi.They were not the Mirliton here but so lovely dance. Their violet tutu costume was also unique elaborate design.Though the choreography was a little bit similar to Baryshnikov production about this part,I thought the melody had already told the short story well in the passage. Yuko Arai and other female dancers expressed the essence of a fairy tale in this part.

And the grand pas de deux of princess Mary and the prince danced by Kazue Yasumura and Tetsuya Kumakawa. Yasumura picked the tones up changed to the steps delicately. She expressed the true happiness that the curse was removed and she could finally married her fiance. Kumakawa danced his solo nobly, his balance of landing was praised as same as the high jumping,especially after the amazing jumping he could land and stand one foot keeping an arabesque without moving at all. The refreshing air and the beating hearts of the audience could have been controled by himself again. And more,various brilliant lifts were put into the climax of the grand pas de deux brightly, the audience could have seen that Kumakawa demonstrate his vision with whole of the production itself.

After the solo of princess Mary and the prince, in short, between the grand pas de deux,the pas de deux of Clara and Herr Drosselmeyer was inserted. Though it might seem a little bit strange, the two heroines were here in Kumakawa production. And Cassidy's Drosselmeyer was also a gentle moderate hero. Kumakawa as an artistic director has well known Cassidy's personality and has been entrusting his existence and trustful performance itself. I'm sure Cassidy's Drosselmeyer has become an unforgettable one,not exaggeration at all just as same as Sir Anthony Dowell ever.

The time severely passed even in the dream,Clara had to say good by for all of them.Left in a darkness lonely, Clara wept for sorrow. Herr Drosselmeyer let her fall into a sleep and finally as a gift for unforgettable Christmas dream,he presented her lovely two of dolls. One is a pretty princess Mary, and another is...? Getting a new life, a handsome prince, of course!!

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Tetsuya Kumakawa K-BALLET COMPANY "The Nutcracker"
17th.December.2005 place:Tokyo Bunka Kaikan 18:30 Soiree

HERR DROSSELMEYER Stuart Cassidy
PRINCESS MARIE Kazue Yasumura
THE NUTCRACKER/THE PRINCE Tetsuya Kumakawa
CLARA Ayako Nakahira
THE KING OF DOLL/Dr.SHTAHLBAUM Gavin Fitzpatrick
THE QUEEN OF DOLL/Mrs.SHTAHLBAUM Yuko Amano
THE MOUSE KING Carlos Martin
FRITZ Pietro Pelliccia

Act1 Scene 4 (The Land of Snow)
THE QUEEN OF SNOW Rie Matsuoka
THE KING OF SNOW Takuya Wajima
SNOWFLAKES Kayo Nagata/Yasuko Higashino
Rina Kambe/Kinue Kobayashi

Act2(The Land of Dolls)
VALSE DES FLEURS Kayo Nagata/Yasuko Higashino
Takuya Wajima/Shuntaro Miyao

ARABIC DOLLS Rie Matsuoka
Carlos Martin/Steven Windsor

SPANISH DOLLS Miho Tsurutani/Shiori Asakawa
Ricki Bertoni/David Skelton

CHINESE DOLLS Kinue Kobayashi/Yoshiaki Kobayashi

RUSSIAN DOLLS Kazuya Tanaka/Piotr Kopka

FRENCH DOLLS Yuko Arai/Rina Kambe/Satomi Soi

LADIES/GENTLEMEN/CHILDREN/MICE/SOLDIERS/SNOWFLAKES/VALSE DES FLEURS
K-BALLEY COMPANY ARTISTS
PUPPET PLAY K-BALLET SCHOOL

Artistic Director : Tetsuya Kumakawa
Production,Additional Choreography : Tetsuya Kumakawa
Original Choreography : Lev Ivanov
Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(arrangement : Kana Tsukuda)
Set and Costume Design : Yolanda Sonnabend/Leslie Travers
Lighting Design : Hisashi Adachi
Conductor : Shogo Isobe
K-BALLET THEATER ORCHESTRA

prologue and Act1(50minutes)(interval 25minutes)Act2(50minutes)

sincerely,

Satoko Kamatani

*edited about sequence of tences

http://www.asahi.com/culture/update/0108/001.html

http://www.asahi.com/shimbun/award/stage/

I would like to say thank you so much for Ms.Yolanda Sonnabend and Mr.Leslie Travers(Set and Costume Design of "The Nutcracker"),all of the staffs and Company members,and of course for Sir Anthony Dowell's heartfelt comments as Honorary President of K-Ballet Company on the pamphlet everytime by new description that was really happy to read for the audience in Japan and in the world.

sincerely

Satoko,