DANCE REVIEW : Second Joffrey Cast Brings Chill of Formality to ‘Nutcracker’

A chill wind of formality blew over the Kingdom of the Sweets as a new Sugar Plum Fairy presided over a second cast in the Joffrey Ballet “Nutcracker” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Jodie Gates danced the role with a seriousness, aloofness and self-sufficiency that belong more properly in some other classical or Romantic ballet, but she offered fascinating compensations Thursday: gorgeous placement, generous amplitude of phrasing, fearfully strong pointe work, even a sense of the burdens of monarchy.

For once, someone was able to look unmechanical in the propelled, hard-edged style of arm movement that seems to have become a company affliction.

Mismatched as her Nutcracker Prince was the pliant, expressive Tyler Walters, who had a bad night technically, blurring shapes in the air and consistently making bad landings. But he partnered attentively and mimed the recapitulation of the Mouse Battle with a terror and vulnerability missing in the scene itself.

Gates’ hauteur was all the more noticeable after Charlene Gehm’s beaming warmth and elegance as the Snow Queen in the opening performance of the engagement. Gehm had been partnered strongly by the noble Daniel Baudendistel.

Filling in for Carl Corry, who had injured his knee, Edward Stierle repeated his virtuosic performance as Fritz and again appeared in the Chinese Dance, this time opposite a springy Cameron Basden. Carole Valleskey and Pascal Benichou enacted the hectic courting of the Columbine-Harlequin duet with fine sense of comic timing.

Peter Narbutas attended Valerie Madonia in the Arabian Dance with even more heat and fixated sensuality than his predecessor had showed. Joseph Schnell inherited the Nutcracker Doll duties and executed them with crispness and clarity (however, unlike his Wednesday counterpart, Schnell was given no opportunity to take a curtain call with unmasked face). Alexander Grant and Mary Barton again took the roles of Drosselmeyer and Clara.

John Miner conducted the Pacific Symphony with similar speed but marginally more shaping and sensitivity than his predecessor, and the orchestra responded optimistically.