Review: A Sugarplum Fairy waves a sweet 'Nutcracker' goodbye
George Balanchine's “Nutcracker” is back in full swing at New York City Ballet, a year after a number of performances were canceled due to COVID-19, and two years after being sidelined entirely due to the pandemic
NEW YORK (AP) — George Balanchine’s “Nutcracker” ends with a big, collective farewell wave. Every single dancer onstage is waving — from the Sugarplum Fairy and her fellow inhabitants of the Land of Sweets down below, to Marie and her Prince up above, soaring in their wooden sleigh.
How appropriate, then, that on Sunday night at New York City Ballet, one Sugarplum Fairy was bidding her own, personal farewell. It was the final NYCB performance for Sterling Hyltin, one of the company’s most admired ballerinas. Retiring after 20 years, she's been dancing this role for 16 of them, and she was still at the top of her game — warm and expansive in demeanor, light and airy in movement. She was also quite clearly having a blast.
Hyltin's performance, loudly cheered at every opportunity (including a standing ovation before her climactic pas de deux with partner Andrew Veyette was even over), made for a special “Nutcracker” evening, especially for audience members who’d never seen a traditional ballet farewell. At curtain calls, she stood onstage as a procession of colleagues — current and former — came out one by one, bearing flowers and hugs, and golden glitter cascaded from above. (The hug-bearers also included some of her young ballet students and her 2-year-old daughter).
This “Nutcracker” has, of course, been a mainstay of holiday entertainment in New York for almost 70 years since it premiered in 1954, featuring the famous Balanchine choreography and iconic Tchaikovsky score. After being sidelined completely in 2020 due to the pandemic, the production returned last year but had to cancel a number of performances due to COVID-19 cases in the cast.
