PUB's 'Nutz' is en pointe

While Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” has been performed for more than 100 years, the Princeton University Ballet’s take on it, “NUTZ,” is refreshingly unexpected. Not only does the troupe not have a nutcracker in the show, but the main character, Clara, has undergone a sex change. The performance is divided into two segments: The first is based on a Washington ballet company’s choreography of “The Nutcracker,” followed by a portion of original contemporary pieces by members of the group and a guest choreographer.

For those familiar with the story of Clara, “NUTZ” begins at the point where she is taken to several fantasylands. The show kicks off (quite literally) with an elegant portrayal of the land of snow. Although there are some moments when dancers are out of sync, the piece has excellent variation with the music, sophisticated costumes and some fabulous segments from Mary Balzer ’13 and Daniel Cohen ’13. This is followed by a series of dances from various parts of the world; the Spanish, Arabian and Chinese dances were the most notable.

The “Spanish Hot Chocolate” piece is an invigorating contrast to the soothing snow; it features two couples who dominate the stage with immediate sassy energy and impressive lifts. Some parts seem slightly rushed and awkward, but the dancers, especially Melissa Schnure ’14, carry it off well overall.

The Arabian piece that follows raises the bar extremely high, starting with a spectacular solo by AJ Brannum ’13, who blows the audience away with his movement, and strong support from Chloe Cheney-Rice ’14. While the costumes, fluid movements and music set the perfect Arabian atmosphere, the next piece creates a Chinese vibe equally well, with a lively performance by petite dancers Paige Hupy ’14 and Marielle Martiney ’14 and even some fun ribbon twirling.

The next part of the show gives this fabulous group of dancers the right to change their name to “Princeton University Ballet and contemporary dance” as they showcase some impressive lyrical dances. Artistic director Corinne Stephenson-Johnson ’12 should be credited for an inspired choice of contemporary pieces. Stephenson-Johnson’s powerful choreography in “Tigre de la Nuit” and Balzer’s somber “Torelli” are relatively more traditional and do a wonderful job of incorporating ballet into more modern dances. The pieces that steal the show, however, are the crazy, slightly eccentric dances that looked like so much fun that I wanted to jump on stage and join them.

Choreographer Grayden Holubar ’13 described his “Rhapsody of Immateriality” as “three minutes of happy” — an uplifting dance with colorful costumes, fluid movements and, most importantly, dancers who are having fun performing. The dance’s musical accompaniment is solely from acoustic guitar pieces, as Gray said he was inspired by the idea that “one instrument could produce so much dynamic.” Equally engaging is the haphazard flurry of motion in Brannum’s “From the Clouds,” a unique piece that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This very artsy piece has dancers flawlessly transition into almost all types of style imaginable, making it fascinating to watch.

If anyone doubted PUB’s sassiness, the group definitely brings sexy back in its final piece, “40 Day Dream” — Jeff Sykes gave these dancers the kind of attitude that only a New York choreographer could pull off. The punchy percussion of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is perfect for these playful performers who could give Black Arts Company: Dance a run for its money if they continue shaking their booty like this.

4 Paws