Charlotte Ballet

Uncle role weird, Claire not on point?, not the best performance but a holiday tradition acceptable.

Nutcracker Review!
Great performance! Not quite the same as seeing it every year growing up in NYC but pretty darn good! Amazing scenery (I wanted to eat all the candy in the second act) and quite a big cast of players/​dancers! They must have raided all the local dance schools for the «cream of the crop». So great to have something like this in Charlotte! Belk Theater was a perfect venue for them. Even though it was a very family oriented event, it was still very classy and well done!

I went to the Charlotte Ballet Theatre to see One Voice Chorus, so I am not reviewing the company, just the structure itself.
The building has a nice reception area, perfect for mingling and having a drink before the show. Unfortunately, the folks at One Voice Chorus didn’t have the ticket areas (admission, drinks, etc) clearly marked, so that was a bit confusing. But, that doesn’t reflect badly on the building itself.
The seats are terraced for optimum viewing and relatively comfortable. The temperature was within normal limits (neither too hot or too cold).
The restrooms are spacious with automated everything.
Perhaps my next visit will be to see the Charlotte Ballet itself!

Most Charlotteans don’t realize that we have such a fabulous ballet company in residence here in our fair city. It is led by Artistic director Jean Pierre Bonnefoux and his wife Patricia McBride who are world renowned for dancing in the New York City Ballet under George Balanchine. What does that mean for non dance connoisseurs? It means young dancers want to come to NCDT from all over the world (literally) to dance under their tutelage which translates to a better experience for patrons.
NCDT has always has a great reputation for modern contemporary ballets, but they also excel at classic, storybook ballets like Romeo & Juliet, and funny children’s ballets like Cinderella. But their sweet spot (and why they attracted resident choreographer Dwight Rhoden who you may have seen on So You Think You Can Dance) is the innovative contemporary works. In fact their annual Innovative Works in late fall often sells out. It features several short pieces that often have a theme or message. My favorite piece, Satto, was featured again recently in Director’s Choice was originally an Innovative Work. Another one they debuted this year had two male artists partnering with Anna Gerberich and never let her feet touch the ground the whole time.
The artists and choreographers ebb and flow but you’re always going to see a great show with a wide variety of styles. You may not like every single piece, but at least they’re conversation pieces. Similarly, you’re not going to love every painting in the Mint. It’s worth seeing something other than Nutcracker, so dive in, the water’s fine.
If I have any complaint, it’s that every dancer has a different style/​strength and Jean Pierre seems to have favorite principals that he sometimes over casts. Kind of like John Fox.
I grew up watching such dance companies as the SF ballet, Bolshoi, Joffrey Ballet, ODC, Alvin Ailey and the Cincinnati/​San Jose ballets so this ain’t my first rodeo.
Ladies, one more selling point in two words: eye candy. Glistening, muscular athletic men often dancing shirtless. I’m just saying. Sue me.