Nutcracker: Battle for Castle by Daniel Jones Dance – Christmas dance for all

Newcastle-under-Lyme College Performing Arts Centre
December 8, 2017

Charlotte Kasner

“I’m 74 and I’m making my stage debut tonight and I can’t wait. I’m really excited – not many people can say that.”

Back in the 1990s, the Arts Council made money available for what were then called education departments of major ballet companies to widen the appeal of an art form that can be perceived to be elitist. Companies tended to take one of two approaches: they either recruited people into existing vocational training programmes from areas where they had not traditionally sought students or they made a wide range of participatory events open to people who had not considered that they might be capable of dancing, let alone ballet.

It was the results of the latter approach that led to one of the most exciting productions of Nutcracker that I have ever seen, let alone in an unlikely corner of the Potteries. Daniel Jones was one of the dancers at English National Ballet who took full advantage of educational outreach opportunities and has extended that since leaving full time performing. Now based back in his home town of Newcastle-under-Lyme, he amassed a company of nearly 70 participants aged 4 to 74, from several nations and varied backgrounds. Many have fascinating stories. One was a Soviet Olympic gymnast and, after gaining a silver medal, went on to tour in the modern revival of theatrical circus. Some are on the cusp of taking up vocational training, others dance purely for pleasure after long working days.

Every single person on stage was totally focused, everyone created an individual character and all gave 110% commitment. Jones has created a few theatrical surprises that enhance the narrative and create an intelligent theatrical framework for a largely female cast.

Nutcracker: Battle for Castle opened with a winter wonderland prologue that enabled the snow fairies to lead us into the Christmas tale. Claire’s mother is a widow but, determined to provide a traditional Christmas, she hosts a girls-only party, with the exception of a couple of small boys. Dressed in their seasonal finery, adults and children alike create the fun. Both misbehave! There is a wonderful cameo from a tipsy granny and everyone has a good time dancing, just not always in an appropriate style! There is even a miniature Sugar Plum Fairy.

The big surprise of the evening, not to say the production, is the arrival of a very special aunt, played superbly by Lynne Payne, who bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain PL Travers nanny. The perfect aunt, she holds the stage in a powerful mime as she tells the little ones vivid stories in spite of interruptions from the rowdier older girls, and produces a huge box of toys for all that appears to be bottomless. Claire (Evelyn Conway) receives a Nutcracker, a wonderful soldier that actually cracks nuts for everyone to munch. But Vera is no pushover and not afraid to produce a dead rat as a present for the less than good.

Dancing, life-size clown dolls entertain everyone, then life size toy soldiers, Vivandiere now, in modern times, in full combat kit.

The party ends and Claire and her friends retire to bed, but not before Claire sneaks a last look at her beloved Nutcracker. On her way back, and as the clock strikes midnight, she suddenly finds her way blocked by a rat, then another and another. The Rat Queen rallies her forces but Vera reminds Claire that the Nutcracker is a soldier. He leads the battle but seems to be killed even though Claire hits the Rat Queen over the head and prompts the retreat. It seems hopeless, but Vera revives the Nutcracker who becomes a prince.

Edward Shallcross is a very mature Nutcracker who tackles the challenge of a full grand pas de deux with his Sugar Plum Fairy, Tianna Carter, with aplomb in spite of his tender years. Jones gives little leeway in the choreography and produces some lovely lines in many of his dancers. Mary Wallbank, one of the Spanish dancers, has excellent épaulement and a real feel for the genre. Laura Watson and Zoe Marsh provide a nuanced Arabian on pointe in glittering gold body suits.

The Christmas theme returns as a small snowman and two mini spruces dance the penultimate section in the Kingdom of the Sweets until everyone returns for the Waltz of the Flowers, filling the stage.

At last, tucked up in bed with her Nutcracker, Claire falls asleep, but all is not quite over. In her dreams, a tiny boy Nutcracker (Luca Jones, at 4 years old, the youngest but by no means the least in the company) marches sternly onto stage. His right arm shoots out, parallel to the ground and ticks away the quarter until the midnight chimes strike. Solemnly, he salutes and marches off, his soldierly steps as sharp as the creases in his trousers.

It truly is an amazing accomplishment to pull together such an exciting, logical, cohesive production from such a disparate group of performers and it is a mark of Daniel Jones’ talents that go way beyond his proven abilities as a dancer and choreographer.

The Potteries have suffered hard times for a couple of decades since ceramics mining and steel production declined. How joyous that its people are still able to come together to dance and prove that ballet really is, thanks to Daniel Jones, for all – he even managed to arrange some actual snow to get everyone the mood!