Local Nutcracker ballet unusually impressive
By Jim Hogan

        Care to be wowed?  In an environment where mediocrity is increasingly if unwittingly common and accepted in every field, artistic and otherwise, it's always a delight and an inspiration to see someone aspire to and achieve a higher standard. It gets inside us and thrills us.  That's what the individuals of the Northern Michigan Dance Academy and its Dickinson Ballet Company are doing this weekend -- reaching higher.  They've stepped it up this year.  Transcending okay, passing good, and headed for excellence.
        This show is wild.  I don't want to give away the story, but we have a dreamy cartoon here, almost Shrek-like in its nature.  But live.  Dancing rats, a charming prince, beautiful princesses, a parade of characters from around the world hoofing to ethnic-specialty dance music, life-size toy soldiers and ballerinas that march and dance, a gigantic swordfighting nutcracker, battles, magic, love, good guys, bad guys -- all that jazz.  Gorgeous and regal queens!  Fairies!  Even a sugar-plum fairy for crying out loud, and she'll knock your socks off!  This show is terrific!
       The sets and properties are good, the lighting and effects are better, the costumes are out of this world.  The producers and directors get full points for handling Tchaikovsky's sensational and infectious music as they do.  A wise choice for a small-town production such as this one.  It's the full orchestral score professionally performed and recorded and piped perfectly through the theater's sound system.  Once the show gets rolling, you'd swear the London Philharmonic was down in the pit, playing live.  No errors, no distractions.
       Best, though, is the dancing.  We forget how graceful, athletic, and beautiful it can be.  We see the good stuff so seldom.  When we do, it hypnotizes and transports us.  It makes us feel wonderful.  And this performance of The Nutcracker is the good stuff done really well.
       As a critic it's difficult to be objective about this show.  Opening night and the electricity of it infected me.  I openly applaud the efforts and achievement of these guys and gals.  Go see them.  Take the kids.  Some of these dancers are high-school seniors and this will be their last local performance -- alas!  The Nutcracker.  Music by Tchaikovsky.  At the Braumart in downtown Iron Mountain.  Evenings and a matinee through the weekend.  For complete information including times and admission, phone 906.774.0790 or Google/search Northern Michigan Dance Academy or Dickinson Ballet Company.