... into the story of Clara, who finds herself on the fine-drawn frontier with adult life, and who is going to have to endure so much pain before she meets her beloved prince. Before she can see and recognise her own sexual drive. Before she can become an adult woman.
Mouse King's realm
This fairytale has been told before. The original story was writtten by Germany's E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1819. Seventy-three years later Russian composer Tchaikovsky wrote the ballet music to Hoffmann's tale about Clara, who is given a magical nutcracker, which has the power to bring all her toys to life for one night. The nutcracker plunges little Clara into a world which is ruled by a wicked Mouse King, who by the way greatly resembles her own real life father.
The whole world's dance
Until 2003 all performances of the Nutcracker were danced according to the strict choreography of classical ballet. Then came Danish hip-hop choreographer Steen Koerner's version of the piece in which street dances from all over the world made their entry on the stage. Brazilian capoeira, American breakdance and brilliantly executed hip- hop fight for our attention. Along with Clemens's idiomatic texts, the choreographies whirl and twirl us into a 21st century version of the Nutcracker.
But you can still see that this is an updated version of a great Russian ballet. Because in the very midst of it all stands the magical ballerina - just like in the original work. And it is she who in the end saves everything.
Lone Nyhuus, a former dancer and choreographer, is a freelance journalist working for i.e. Danish Radio Programme 2's Theatre Magazine.
Steen Koerner' The Nutcracker on Aveny-T, 2003, solodancer Silja Schandorff, Osama Nasrallah and Rui Pereira. Photo: hansen- hansen.com.