ON STAGE
What: Ballet Victoria Presents The Gift
Where: Royal Theatre
When: Friday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 28, and Sunday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $30-$82 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or
Evolve or die is a popular philosophy in the business world, but it also applies to arts organizations that stage much-beloved classics on an annual basis.
Ballet Victoria artistic director Paul Destrooper certainly thinks so 鈥� he鈥檚 constantly tinkering when it comes to The Gift, his company鈥檚 updated version of The Nutcracker, performed with the Victoria Symphony each Christmas.
鈥淥ur version is different than most versions and I think people enjoy that novelty,鈥� Destrooper said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not always the same.鈥�
Destrooper, who wrote and choreographed the production, incorporated many dance elements familiar from Tchaikovsky鈥檚 classic two-act ballet into The Gift, including the Sugar Plum Fairy鈥檚 pas des deux and the Waltz of the Snowflakes. But he also made several minor modifications that added quirks to some of the characters. 鈥淚 naturally follow an evolution. If I have an artist that is really flamboyant, and wants their character to head a certain way, then we modify. It keeps it interesting for everyone.鈥�
Other companies have been following his lead, Destrooper said, omitting from current productions culturally insensitive elements of the Russian original, which was quite dark.
During The Gift鈥檚 seven-year run, Destrooper has also added in single parents, same-sex couples and a Japanese influence. He made a subtle anti-war statement this year by adding a female Nutcracker who carries a candy cane rather than a sword.
鈥淚t鈥檚 funny, because we have done this for years,鈥� Destrooper said of his changes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 normal. I don鈥檛 even think about these things anymore. We have a multicultural cast.
鈥淚鈥檓 always stunned when someone does one thing and then talks about how great they are for doing one little thing, when Ballet Victoria has been doing it for 10 years. Welcome to the 21st century.鈥�
Destrooper is well-versed in the production, having been involved 鈥� both as a dancer and artistic director 鈥� in more than 600 performances of The Nutcracker during the past 30 years, including five to 20 performances of The Gift with Ballet Victoria each year. He鈥檚 expanding his reach, too: Destrooper took The Gift on the road this month for multiple sa国际传媒 dates in Revelstoke, Oliver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge and Chilliwack, and was overwhelmed by the reception.
Victoria audiences will have their own chance to experience The Gift 鈥� with a cameo appearance by local retailer Gordie Dodd on opening night 鈥� Friday through Sunday at the Royal Theatre, with 144 dancers from Ballet Victoria, the full Victoria Symphony Orchestra and upwards of 25 children participating.
Destrooper calls it a tradition. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like midnight mass, Handel鈥檚 Messiah or A Christmas Carol. The Nutcracker is an iconic work.鈥�
Tchaikovsky鈥檚 creation was not initially a seasonal offering in Europe, where productions veered into moody, more adult territory. It wasn鈥檛 until the 1960s that it rose to prominence in North America and became a family-friendly Christmas staple.
Destrooper has a theory about its enduring appeal: 鈥淎 lot of dark things happen in the world, so when you get to the festive season of the year, people rally around the light.
鈥淎 performance that mixes children with professional dancers is a little bit less pretension. People know they will understand the story and they definitely know they will enjoy the music, so it has that kind of lightness.
鈥淭o use a dirty word in the arts world, it鈥檚 entertaining. People want that in the holidays.鈥�
