For the first time, the center presents George Balanchine's version, danced by the Pennsylvania Ballet.
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I and my fiancee were seriously thinking of donating money to the Kennedy Center but Ive changed my mind after this embarrassment of a performance! Was the Kenned Center unable to afford to hire a better ballet company? They should have just cancelled the Nutcracker if that was the case....then we may have really paid heed to the phlight of the arts!
Imagine the excitement we felt when we bought tickets for the entire office because many had never seen the Nutcracker before. Imagine the expense associated with 8 tickets and a meal beforehand. Imagine the excitement we conveyed to our staff about how brilliant, colorful, and magical the Nutcracker is at the Kennedy Center during the holiday season. Imagine the shock and disappointment we felt when we realized that we were not getting what we expected and paid for. The Pennsylvania Ballet Company created a low budget, low energy, mediocre production of the celebrated Nutcracker, which should have never been performed at the Kennedy Center. The Center should have been more discerning when it selected this production.
Imagine the excitement we felt when we bought tickets for the entire office because many had never seen the Nutcracker before. Imagine the expense associated with 8 tickets and a meal beforehand. Imagine the excitement we conveyed to our staff about how brilliant, colorful, and magical the Nutcracker is at the Kennedy Center during the holiday season. Imagine the shock and disappointment we felt when we realized that we were not getting what we expected and paid for. The Pennsylvania Ballet Company created a low budget, low energy, mediocre production of the celebrated Nutcracker, which should have never been performed at the Kennedy Center. The Center should have been more discerning when it selected this production.
This performance lacked nearly everything. The music was poorly performed, and at times barely audible--and without spirit. My grandson described it as "sad." The dancing was not really dancing unless you consider moving around the stage and waving your arms as dancing. I wish we had left after the first act as I really considered. Too bad, we didn't. My g'son did like the Xmas tree. Even the professional dancers were not "on point."
Where the costumes, effects and music are grand, its supposed to be a ballet - so I was amazed to see virtually no dancing until the last scene prior to intermission - and even then, it was very average. I've seen a lot better at Montgomery College. This was really poorly done and I'm quite surprised this made it to Kennedy Center.
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