The Nutcracker

Snowflakes and the carriage of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince Photo: Terry Shapiro

Opening night of the Colorado Ballet's 2006 The Nutcracker was first a celebration of all things Eastern European: Maria Mosina as the Sugarplum Fairy and Igor Vassine as her Cavalier turn in exquisite performances to the accompaniment of the orchestra's workmanlike rendition of Tchaikovsky's immortal score in a generally well-tempered effort by guest conductor Gyorgy Kiryluk. The other members of the company were remarkable as well, giving us pause to wonder whether we would find onion domes dotting the sky upon our exit.

Sayaka Karasugi as Clara and Nathan Vander Stoep as the Nutcracker Prince Photo: Terry Shapiro

Given the depth of talent of the company, it's hard for artistic director Gil Boggs to go wrong even quintuple casting as demanding a ballet as this. Sayaka Karasugi's Clara balances the romanticism of a pre-teen with the awkward elegance of a young woman as she plays out a dream come true with her Nutcracker Prince, Nathan Vander Stoep, whose hanging leaps and seamingly effortless lifts make this an excellent, if young, pairing.

Maria Mosina as the Sugarplum Fairy and Igor Vassine as the Cavalier Photo: Terry Shapiro

The divertissements are delectible as well, with a snappy Spanish chocolate (Shunsuke Amma, Cara Cooper, and Asuka Sasaki) chased by a sensual and sexy Arabian coffee (Misha Bobchinsky and Chandrea Kuykendall), a comic Chinese (Sean Omandam), a flirtatious Marzipan (Masahiro Momose, Casey Dalton, Hanae Seki), a particularly exuberant Russian (Sharon Wehner, Koichi Kubo, Chauncey Parsons), an endearing Mother Ginger (Michael Muniz), and a splashy corsage of Flowers.

All this is topped off by Mosina and Vassine, who mix sublime detail with sculpted athleticism in one of the ultimate classical fantasies.

Asuka Sasaki as the Doll Photo: Terry Shapiro

The staging captures the wonderment of life-size dancing dolls, a battle of toy soldiers and rats, the gathering intensity of the snowflakes in a storm, a regal swan carriage that flies Clara and the Nutcracker Prince into the clouds, and an assortment of legerdemain from Herr Drosselmeier (an enigmatic Gregory Gonzales).

The Colorado Ballet's The Nutcracker runs through December 24th. 303-837-8888 or www.coloradoballet.com.

Bob Bows