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We loved the experience, but the extra 20 minutes at the end for the 2 extra dancers seemed very out of place and kind of ruined the ending for us. Which is why I gave it a lower score. Plus it lost the attention span of our children and the ones around us.
Great to have such a production put together by kids. They really did an awesome job.
I wasn't in town to watch the Russian Ballet dance "The Nutcracker". So I was thrilled I would be able to see a live performance when I saw the Rochester Dance Company advertised. Of course, this is a "hometown" production, but it was very well done--lovely costumes, the interpretation of the music very good, and the grace of the dancers added to the magic I wanted to find in the Christmas ballet. I thoroughly enjoyed the production and will return again when they perform.
It was a very well constructed and performed staging of the Christmas class by Peter Tchaikovsky. The settings and stage pieces, although minimal, helped to enhance the performance by invoking the sense of disbelief. The costumes were colorful and well-ordained, especially the childrens' costumes for the mice and fairies. But it was the dancers that really stole the show; the young Ms. Aubrey Connell, in her final performance as part of RDC, captivated the audience with her dances as the Harlequin in the first half, and as the Snow Maiden in the second. A fitting tribute to her years of work and devotion - truly she is destined for great things. The other performances of Mr. Demetrius McClendon, Mr. Adam Kittleberger and Ms. Julie Benirschke were well done, showing the quality and expertise expected of seasoned professionals. A fine way to commemorate the spirit of the season, and an excellent reason to consider patronizing RDC in future events.
Stacy and I having never been to a ballet before have to say were blown away at the performances. Perfect for the holiday season we really enjoyed ourselves and will be interested in what the Rochester Dance Company does next. Great show.
The wife and I took our 7 yr old budding ballerina daugher as an early Christmas gift. She was so excited to go. We all really enjoyed the show.
My daughter turned 5, so I decided it was time for her first Nutcracker experience. She is an easy-going kid, so I wasn't too worried about sitting for a long show, so we booked the best seats available (5th row, center). While the tickets weren't super expensive, it was enough we did this as a mother-daughter event, rather than the whole family. So here's what the experience was like: Performance: I rated this a 4-star experience, because if you set aside the price and focus on what the event really is, it's fine. For a family with young kids, you can go and wear your usual clothes (no dressing up required). The performance was student-level with a couple of professional guest performers handling the more complex solo/duet routines. There were a few missteps, but the performers clearly have worked hard and for a small local group, it was a very good show. My daughter was highly entertained. Venue: This is where I was a bit disappointed. I grew up around the Boston Ballet and while I'm not expecting a gold guilt theater in Rochester, I guess I thought it might be a little nicer. It's a small civic center theater that feels a bit like a school setting. The Lourdes High School theater is much nicer and would have made a better, more appealing location than the Civic Center's theater. All that said, the seats were comfortable and there was enough room to put our drinks and snacks under the seat without bothering the people behind us. Distractions: Overall, it was a family performance and I didn't mind that kids are enjoying the show. What was distracting was a photographer sitting in the row in front of us, taking photos every 20-30 seconds with a big DSLR. I had no idea a shutter could be so loud, but it was distracting enough that he was asked to stop using it by management about 30 minutes into the performance. After that, it was easy to focus on the performance. I wish we had a true ballet theater here in town, but without that, this is a good alternative and a great way to introduce the Nutcracker to children.
First time to see Nutcracker and it was awesome and memorable!
