Haglund recommends that all ballerinas immediately get pregnant.
At Sunday evening’s performance of NYCB’s Nutcracker, Ashley Bouder, with a four-month bun in the oven, danced the role of Dewdrop more beautifully than possibly at any other time in her career. Unadorned, unforced, unfussy, unpushy, unflappable with a graceful ease and peaceful joy – she pretty much personified the spirit of the Season. Of course, in another few weeks we may be wincing at her disappearing line and suggesting she put her feet up, but on Sunday night, she was magnificent.
Everyone in the cast was superb. Our Sugarplum and Her Cavalier, Rebecca Krohn and Amar Ramasar, were as smooth as Mrs. Gibble's Christmas buttermints in their PdD. Rebecca’s earlier solo in Act II captured the delicacy of the celesta's notes.
Our little Marie was Avery Lin, also one of the most famous Bunnies in all of recorded Nutcracker history and a true Bunnypoleon. What a Nutcracker career she has had so far while growing from Bunny costume to Party costume to Marie's costume. The mice nearly got to her, though. During the battle scene, Marie hopped up on her bed to escape the mice and then fainted. Unfortunately, she fainted right off the side of the bed onto the floor. She caught herself and broke her fall without hitting her head, but it was a reminder why all of our moms warn us Don’t jump on the bed.
Emil José Kelso was a dashing Little Prince who we look forward to seeing again next year. Sawyer Reo repeated his fine performance from last year as Fritz.
Megan LeCrone’s Coffee was more of a complex Galliano Ristretto liqueur that one might reach for around 9PM. Lauren King led the Marzipan Shepherdesses with aplomb and fine form. Harrison Ball commanded the stage as head Candy Cane. His overall dancing has quickly moved up the Watchablilty Scale in the past year. However, that downstage double hoop jump with the hoola-hoop gave him trouble again.
Haglund was just joking up top when he recommended that all ballerinas immediately get pregnant. Really. But we’re really happy to see a truly happy Ashley Bouder take the stage at Christmastime. She spreads the joy. The HH Pump Bump Award, a Christian Louboutin Patinana sandal with delicate drops of crystal, is bestowed upon our Dewdrop.