By Sydney Sangster
Odyssey Dance Theatre is reimagining a Christmas classic with their performance of Redux Nut-Cracker at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, written by E. T. A. Hoffman in 1816, was adapted into a ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Marius Petipa, and Lev Ivanov and first performed in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. Odyssey Dance Theatre wows audiences with a new adaptation featuring modern themes and contemporary dance.
In the company’s original version of the classic Nutcracker ballet, Clara (Bailey Evans) is gifted a smartphone by Drosselmeyer (Diego Ballesteros) after rejecting a Barbie and Ninja Turtle action figure (Aubrey McCleary, Tommy Green) originally given to her and Fritz (Peiter Mortensen) by her parents, Mr. And Mrs. Smith (Ramses Contreras, Rachel Perry). Clara is then drawn into a magical world where she’s able to dance with robots, mice, ballerinas, and people from different countries, all in fabulous hip-hop fashion.
The choreography in Redux Nut-Cracker (Darryl Yeager, Eldon Johnson, Jeffrey Louiszia, Patrick Cubbedge, Christian Denice, Veronica Yeager, Ashley Costa) is impressive and imaginative. From the graceful, classical ballet moves performed by the Sugarplum Queen (Darby Jones), to the breakdancing and krumping performed by the Party Kids (Infinity Dance), you’ll never guess what’s coming next.
The beautiful costumes (Cheryl Yeager, Crystal Denton),set design (Doug Ellis)and video design (Rebecca Gillette, Media Grabbers) add even more magic to the already mystical show. Projections and multi-media effects are used rather than sets and props, meaning there are no bounds to the illusions these designers can create for the audience. The projections and costumes for each culture are traditional, but still exciting. The colors and materials are fun and enticing. It’s easy to tell that the details in this show are carefully looked after.
Redux Nut-Cracker at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City, performed by Odyssey Dance Theatre, is an exciting new way to enjoy a timeless old tale. Your entire family will enjoy the show, but be warned – your little ones might beg for dance classes after watching this story play out.
Odyssey Dance Theatre presents Redux Nut-Cracker, conceived and directed by Derryl Yeager, with original music by Tchaikovsky.
Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
December 17-23, 2019, 7:30 PM
Tickets: $20-$40, discounts available
Contact: 801-581-7100
Odyssey Dance Theatre Official Website
Odyssey Dance Theatre Facebook Page
Infinity Dance Facebook Page
Media Grabbers Inc Facebook Page
Redux Nut-Cracker Facebook Event
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