"Nutcracker's" sweet tradition twirls on

A 24-year tradition kicked off its seasonal run at McCaw Hall last Friday, heralded by a lobby full of magicians, beaming grandmothers, chocolate-mouse-bedecked cookies and little girls in velvet. It was Pacific Northwest Ballet's lavish "Nutcracker," whimsically designed by Maurice Sendak and choreographed by former PNB artistic director Kent Stowell. Though those giant Nutcracker teeth and that swelling Christmas tree have seen much service since the ballet's 1983 debut, the production's still a beauty — and still has magic to spare.

Accompanied by a little girl in velvet (the must-have "Nutcracker" accessory) and two small stuffed bears, I settled into my seat wondering if this ballet, after many viewings, would have anything new to offer. And it did, starting with the mature and confident performance of PNB student Towa Shinagawa as young Clara, who had the lightness of feet and enchanting smile of a girl dancing in her dreams. It was a performance full of tiny memorable moments, like the charming little totter Lesley Rausch brought to the small role of the Ballerina Doll, or the way the iridescent tail of the Peacock (Ariana Lallone) added a colorful shimmer to the character's mournful solo, or the way a very young dancer's carefully rehearsed stage face blossomed for a moment into a genuine grin.

Carrie Imler's joyous solo work in "Waltz of the Flowers" was happily noted. So was the way the corps' spun-sugar pastel tutus, whirling as if caught in a pink snowstorm, whooshed into stillness just a moment after their wearers had stopped moving, punctuating the dance with choreography of their own. Kaori Nakamura and Jonathan Porretta, as the grown-up Clara and her Nutcracker Prince, danced with elegant reserve, and Uko Gorter's Herr Drosselmeier found just the right balance of menace and eccentric twinkle. And the many children of the cast, from the tiniest Act I party guest to the elegant teens featured in several of Act II's divertissements, showed off precise technique and hints of infectious glee.

This "Nutcracker" wasn't perfect, as few things danced by mortals can be (particularly on a post-Thanksgiving opening): the Snowflakes' precision seemed to be melting just a bit, and the Dervishes haven't found the fire their dance needs. Still, with its glorious colors and sweeping Tchaikovsky score (played with verve and speed by the PNB orchestra), the ballet has a way of making us remember the magic of childhood, of the open-mouthed awe our younger selves felt when seeing a "Nutcracker" for the first time. My velvet-clad companion told me that her bear friends were wearing "invisible tutus" in honor of the occasion. So, after watching "Nutcracker," are a lot of us.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com