Bum bum be-de bum, bum bum be-de bum!

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if the Oliver's didn't go see the Nutcracker.  We have been spoiled rotten the last two years in Korea by seeing a fantastic company who presents the Bolshoi version.  I was a bit skeptical that there would be a performance to top it.  We researched the options to view the Nutcracker in Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia and decided to attend the one presented by the Pacific Northwest Ballet. 

We attended the show on Saturday.  One of the bonuses for the PNB is that the hall is at the Seattle Center.  We rushed downtown, found a parking spot and hustled to the performance hall.  Even though it wasn't Bolshoi, what we came to find is that you can appreciate the Nutcracker even if it is a bit different.    The sets were fantastic and looked just like they came out of a storybook.  The dancing was wonderful.  The Land of Sweets is always my favorite act and I look forward to the different celebration dances.  But the best part of the PNB performance was the Arabian Dance, interpreted into a peacock gracefully strutting across the stage.  Quite honestly, it stole the show, even from the Pas de Deux of Clara and her Cavelier. 

After a wonderfully different performance, we walked through Seattle Center at dusk, enjoying the lights and then set out for dinner.