WINNIPEG, MB
In what has been praised as the “most innovative” ballet production in almost a century, the Mennonite Nutcracker wowed a packed house in a North Kildonan EMB church basement this week.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. The stamina and flexibility of Mrs. Janzen to just sit there for 2 hours cracking nuts was incredible,” said Mennonite ballet fan Anne Kehler. “At one point Mrs. Janzen did 32 frowny faces in a row.”
Prima ballerina Mrs. Janzen was accompanied by a remarkable corps de ballet of Mennonites, many of whom sported loose fitting clothes so-as to show off their non-dancing.
“By the time we got to the ‘Non-dance of the Plumemoos Fairy’ I was in tears,” said Kehler. “I’ve never seen such lovely nut-cracking and cold plum soup-eating in my life.”
The second half of the production includes a beautiful choreographed crokinole tournament and a dream sequence where the men clean up the dishes after Christmas dinner.