The Nutcracker

This is my favorite production of "Nutcracker" and I've seen many, both live and recorded. I admit that I no longer have patience to sit through most of Act One. I start at the Waltz of the Snowflakes and take it from there. What makes this performance so outstanding are the two principal dancers, Miyako Yoshida and Steven McRae. They're a great physical match and work so well together, neither one upstaging the other. They simply glide flawlessly on their toes and through the air, spinning on one leg, making it all look so easy. This video is nicely produced with sharp images and excellent editing, allowing the viewer to see full body dancing with occasional glimpses of closeups. Superb orchestration, costumes, scenery, corps de ballet, etc.

What a treasure. I may just prefer the 1989 and 1985 productions, but like those(as well as the 2001 Royal Ballet production) I can watch this Nutcracker over and over if I wanted to. The Nutcracker has always been one of my favourite ballets and stories, so I always expect a lot when it comes to seeing a production of it. Apart from Maurice Bejart's(which I found a self-indulgent near-disaster) every production of The Nutcracker has many reasons to watch it. On a visual front, there is little to fault this one. The start of the ballet does give a charming festive feel like it ought to, and the costumes and sets are traditional and very colourful. The dancing is very intimate in choreography and is very gracefully danced with emotion and commitment, especially in the Grand Pas-De-Deux. My favourite moment of the production though was during and after Dance of the Snowflakes. The dance itself was superbly choreographed, but the effect of the gliding across the stage heralding the crystal sleigh taking Clara and the Prince was a truly beautiful moment, and what Christmas and magic is all about. The video directing is generally very good, though I think in the transformation sequence there could have been more focus on what was going on on stage rather than showing the Christmas Tree grow and grow. The sound is fine. The orchestral playing is lush with the right amounts of compelling power too, while the conducting is always well-judged in tempo. Miyako Yoshida continues to be charming and elegant as the Sugar Plum Fairy, while Iohna Loots' Clara oozes touching vulnerability. Gary Avis is not one of the great Drosselmeyers but makes his mark, likewise with the Mouse King. The Prince and Nutcracker are as masculine and handsome as you'd expect, and Laura Morera's Rose Fairy and Laura McCulloch's Arabian Dancer are the standouts out of the dancers performing the little dances in the Land of Sweets. In conclusion, a magical production. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox

The Nutcracker (2009) was directed by Ross MacGibbon. The production is from The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden.

Miyako Yoshida stars as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Yoshida was a principal dancer in her company in Japan, and a guest principal dancer at The Royal Ballet. Yoshida was unusual because she is only five feet two inches tall. Most great ballerinas are taller, and being short is a handicap in this art form. Yoshida compensates for her height by her talent and her elegance.

Iohna Loots portrays Clara. Loots is only five feet one inch tall, but this works because Clara is an adolescent, and she i supposed to look young and vulnerable.

As would be expected from the Royal Ballet, production values are high, and the soloists and corps are extremely skilled.

This is a pretty good version of The Nutcracker, but not a great one. I haven't seen other versions, but my guess is that better versions are available.

We saw this film on DVD, which allowed us to view some interesting extras. For example, the director emphasizing to the young student ballerinas that the mice in the battle scene have to be threatening, not cute.

This Nutcracker has a low IMDb rating of 6.5. I thought it was better than that, and rated it 8.