The Royal Ballet is based in Covent Garden in London. Well known for its productions of classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle and Coppélia and more modern pieces such as Woolf Works, based on the work of Virginia Woolf and Maddadam, based on the tales of Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, it is widely considered the top dance company in the UK. But the most famous Royal Ballet production of all time, has to be Nutcracker. With choreography by Peter Wright and music from Tchaikovsky it is well known as a Christmas spectacle.
I am lucky enough to have seen the Royal Ballet’s production live aged 7, and it was truly one of the most magical experiences of my life. Dancer or not I believe this dramatic explosion of festivity, lights, music and pointe shoes is enough to bring anybody together. However, with some tickets ranging up to around £150, it certainly is not an annual trip up to London. That is why, this year, I was delighted to see that BBC 2 was streaming the Nutcracker on Christmas Day.
The Nutcracker follows the story of Clara, a young girl, who is celebrating Christmas Eve at her parents’ party. Danced by Sophie Alnatt in this production, Clara was enchanting. Alnatt really captured the youth and excitement of Clara, and made it impossible to take your eyes of her. As the night goes on, she is amazed by the magic of her Godfather, Drosselmeyer, and eventually goes on an adventure to the land of the sweets, where she encounters The Sugar Plum Fairy and other assorted sweets. She embarks on this journey with her toy nutcracker, a Christmas present, that Drosselmeyer has bought to life. The story is loosely based on the story ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’ by E.T.A Hoffmann. Tchaikovsky composed the music, Marius Petipa choreographed and it was premiered at the Mariinsky theatre in 1892. Since then, companies around the world have all created their own adaptations, and they are performed annually in the winter months.
The ballet begins (after a short prelude with Drosselmeyer) with the well-known ‘party scene’, which features members of the company and students from the Royal Ballet school. Amongst celebrating and drinking, Drosselmeyer performs magic, bringing a mystical air to the night. The biggest trick of all is bringing four dolls alive, who begin to dance. Peter Wright’s creativity comes alive here, with the movements of the dolls being incredibly realistic, yet still beautiful. As the night ends, Clara is sent to bed, but she would like a final dance with her new nutcracker toy. She awakes to find Drosselmeyer performing magic to make the whole room enlarged. The spectacle of the growing tree is a famous attribute to the Royal Ballet’s production. Clara’s small solo in this section of the ballet was performed beautifully by Sophie Allnatt. In this production, she brought to life the infant like nature of Clara excellently which is difficult to capture for a dancer aged around twenty to twenty-five years old.
Not long after, Clara finds herself in the Land of the Snow, where she performs a pas de deux (dance of two) with the Nutcracker. Leo Dixons performance presented strength and chivalry which was palpable. Not long after, the Waltz of the Snowflakes is performed. The corps of the company performs this part, and it was done beautifully. The synchronisation of the dancers is outstanding and is a marvel to watch. The dance comes to a dramatic crescendo with Clara and her Nutcracker departing on a carriage pulled by the angel from the top of the tree, and we head into an interval.
Post interval, the ballet is a flurry of colours, costumes and confectionery. Dances performed include Waltz of the Flowers, the Russian Candy Cane dance, the Chinese Tea dance, the Spanish Chocolate dance and the Arabian Coffee dance. But the star of the show is the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince/Cavalier. Danced by Anna Rose O’Sullivan and Marcelino Sambe, two elite principles at the company, Sugar Plum is the epitome of the Nutcracker. With the recognisable music ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ by Tchaikovsky this snippet of the ballet encompasses all of the importance of the production, and it was performed outstandingly by these two paramount members of the ballet community.
The ballet comes to a magical end, with Clara going back to her regular life, after an incredible night. Unique to the Royal Ballet, we see the Nutcracker going back to Drosselmeyer’s studio, where we began. Although it is unclear many believe this suggests that the Nutcracker is Drosselmeyer’s son, making for a much more creative and intriguing finish.
Overall, this production of the festive ballet, is one of the greats and should be watched by everyone. Whilst a trip up to Covent Garden is magical and a real treat, the upload on iPlayer provides a real Christmas treat, for no cost.