Just hours before the curtain went up for the first Dubai performance of Moscow City Ballet's production of The Nutcracker at the weekend, principal ballet mistress Ludmila Nerubashenko sat in the topmost row at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre, her voice blaring through the speaker each time the principal dancer faltered.
“Stop, please!” she says in Russian and drops the microphone to demonstrate a theatrical move from her seat to a giggling 26-year-old Anna Ivanova, the dancer who plays the lead character, Clara, in the popular two-act ballet.
The organisers of The Nutcracker in the UAE, Art For All, had to book the 26-year-old Russian ballet company a year in advance because of the high demand for this particular production around the world during Christmas. In Dubai, the weekend shows were sold out. The production has now moved to Abu Dhabi for performances at Emirates Palace today and tomorrow.
"In Russia, The Nutcracker is an all-year-round favourite," says Nerubashenko. "And in other countries everyone wants us to stage The Nutcracker during Christmas. I think it's because the story is so magical, with a Christmas tree and Santa Claus. It's like we bring a fairy tale for children and adults to life."
The original stage show was choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, and set to a rousing score by the Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1892.
An adaptation of a revised version of German author E T A Hoffmann's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the story begins at a Christmas party where a young girl, Clara, is gifted a toy nutcracker by her godfather Drosselmeyer.
The nutcracker comes to life at midnight and leads an army of toy soldiers into battle with mice. The nutcracker later turns into a Prince and he takes Clara with him to the Kingdom of Flowers and to meet the Sugar Plum Fairy.
The production saw a resurgence in the 1960s and is now a part of the repertoire of every major ballet troupe. The choreography in Moscow City Ballet’s version, which is classical ballet, was done by Nerubashenko’s husband, Victor Smirnov-Golovanov.
"We first staged The Nutcrackers in 1994," Nerubashenko says. "It is very inventive and still boasts his choreography, which is highly appreciated. And it comes right from the Russian culture."
The ballet mistress isn’t sure how many times they company has performed the ballet around the world.
“Maybe 2,000 times already,” Nerubashenko says with a laugh.
The instructor was visibly exhausted after an entire day of rehearsals, but wasn’t satisfied with Ivanova’s bashful damsel routine in Act II until the very end.
She asks the dancer and her partner in a pas de deux to put on their costumes for a final practice.
Ivanova, dressed in a white tutu and embellished V-neck bodice, leaps across the stage and is caught on cue for an overhead lift by Talgat Kozhabayev, who plays the Prince.
Standing tall, the athletic 35-year-old Kozhabayev turns her around and smoothly lowers her into a flying bow pose.
Meanwhile, the technical team that has flown in with more than 40 members – for its UAE performances, the company has had to forgo a live orchestra because of space constraints on stage – is testing the lights and pulling down the digital screen on which snowflakes will appear during the performance. A hand-painted set with white fir trees forms the background.
“I like how there is range of emotions to my character in this,” says Ivanova, after the rehearsal. “Her behaviour constantly changes throughout the performance.”
The soloist, who has been playing Clara for two years, says she particularly enjoys dancing in the first act.
“This is a scene with Drosselmeyer and the Prince, but it is very complicated to explain,” she says. “But more than being technically accurate for this ballet, it’s about becoming the character I play.
“This performance is filled with high energy and passion.”
• The Nutcracker is at Emirates Palace Monday (December 15) and on Tuesday (December 16). Tickets are priced from Dh150. Check www.timeouttickets.com for availability
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
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- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
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- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
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Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
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Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
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Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
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