"New Visions of Sugar Plums'

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre's (www.gwinnettballet.com) twenty-third annual production of The Nutcracker at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia was met with record-breaking ticket sales for sixteen near-sold out performances – and shouts of "Brava", standing ovations and many interruptions of applause.

With all-new choreography by Ms. Kristy Nilsson (www.2nilssons.com), and Pas de Deux by Ms. Lisa Sheppard Robson - Artistic Director of Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, this new version extends the plot, carrying the audience away to an imaginary world of delight and adventure. The splendid holiday celebration in Act One highlights renowned professional magician Bill Kress as the mysterious Herr Drosselmeyer, who astounds both children and adults with miraculous presentations of exotic birds and ballerinas, seemingly from thin air - magic rarely seen by Nutcracker audiences. In Clara's Dream, her mischievous little brother, Fritz, brings a legion of rats to terrorize his older sister. Following the nightmarish invasion of the rats and their battle against Red Coat toy soldiers, cannon and cavalry led by the Nutcracker Prince, the rats kidnap Fritz. Ms. Nilsson's enhanced plot carries the story through Act II, with Clara, the Nutcracker and the Sugar Plum Fairy giving chase into the Nutcracker's Magical Kingdom… where they enlist help from Spain, China, Arabia, Russia and Switzerland to help save Fritz from the evil Rat King.

Featuring Gwinnett Ballet Theatre's outstanding young pre-professional dancers, exceptional sets and lush Victorian costumes, this production of The Nutcracker far exceeds expectations of a company this size. The excellent training of these dancers is evident throughout this production of Nutcracker: in addition to year-round study with GBT faculty, most of these students are invited to intensive summer training with such companies as American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and Atlanta Ballet; many are later accepted into professional dance companies as well as the finest university ballet programs.

While all the dancers in this production show professionalism and promise, several deserve special mention. Ms. Whitney Sue Jones technically excels as the Sugar Plum Fairy with poise and grace far beyond her years, beautifully partnered by Mr. Angelo Giglio of Joffrey Ensemble Ballet, New York City. Ms. Jody Blevins and Ms. Sara Chamberlin are both lyrical and radiant in their alternating roles as Dream Clara and in the sensual Arabian variation - performed with local guest-artist B.J. Toups, recently off-tour from the Broadway show "Swing". The joy and enthusiasm of this talented ballet company are apparent in all aspects of this production, from the children's dances and corps work in the lovely new "Snow' scene of Act One, through the exciting new divertissement and elegant "Waltz of the Flowers' in Act Two.

Ms. Nilsson's new choreography respects a traditional old-world European, setting – but the improved storyline brings clarity, continuity and a true sense of fairytale magic to this very-familiar holiday classic. Her choreography is often contemporary but never 'modern', successfully and unobtrusively bringing out both the drama in the story and the strengths of these young dancers. One never feels that one is watching a student company, instead the audience is swept away in this new vision of The Nutcracker.