Performed by The Australian Ballet, Peter Wright’s production of The Nutcracker is considered the world’s most beautiful.

The Nutcracker

Join Clara on a magical journey as Matthew Bourne transforms a festive classic into a new family-sized feast for the senses. 

Unwrap an adventure to Sweetieland, brought to life through lavish sets inspired by the golden age of Hollywood musicals, and delight in Bourne’s dazzling choreography set to Tchaikovsky's iconic 1892 score.

Filmed live at Sadler's Wells in London, this enchanting ballet on ice stars Cordelia Braithwaite as Clara, Harrison Dowzell as the Nutcracker, Ashley Shaw as Sugar, and Dominic North as Fritz. Brimming with Christmas charm and surprises, it’s a joyful cracker from start to finish.

A candy-filled ice-skating adventure awaits Clara in Matthew Bourne's dazzling reimagining of a Christmas classic. 

Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker!

A Christmas treat for the whole family and a classic with a special place in the hearts of ballet fans around the world.

The Nutcracker (2018)

Because of Tchaikovsky’s imaginative music, “The Nutcracker” is one of the most popular works of the ballet repertoire, instantly bringing to mind scenes of a splendidly decorated Christmas room, dancing snowflakes and the waltz of the flowers. 

The plot of “The Nutcracker” is based on a novella by E.T.A. Hoffmann, one of the most famous writers of German Romanticism. While Hoffmann’s masterful fairy tale jumps eerily back and forth from a dream to reality, many of the ballet adaptations, like Peter Wright's and Marius Petipa's, have lost the darkness woven throughout this romantic fantasy.

In this production, choreographer Christian Spuck attempts to distance himself from traditional choreography and puts the literary origin at the heart of his ballet. Spuck emphasizes the fantastical nature of Hoffman's story and brings back the tale of princess Pirlipat, who turns into a nut monster. 

In Rufus Didwiszus’ stage setting, the workshop of the godfather Drosselmeier turns into an old revue theater, where the characters of the ballet come to life. Spucks’ choreography plays with the richness of characters in E.T.A. Hoffmann’s narrative cosmos, the absurdity and overwrought humor that inhabit them while at the same time looking down into the dark abyss of Romanticism.

Christian Spuck attempts to distance himself from the Dumas/Petipas version and puts the literary origin at the heart of his ballet.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

Peter Wright's interpretation of The Nutcracker has been enchanting children and adults alike since its first performance by The Royal Ballet in 1984. Lev Ivanov's 1892 ballet combined with Tchaikovsky's sumptuous, iconic score are presented in a festive period setting with vivid designs to make this a charming and magical production. 

Loosely based on the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, the ballet begins in the 19th-century German home of the Stahlbaums, where they are hosting a lively Christmas party. The period setting is captured in opulent detail by Julia Trevelyan Oman's designs, which include authentic Christmas tree decorations that are magically brought to life. Wright's choreography ingeniously incorporates surviving fragments of the ballet's original material, including the sublime pas de deux for the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince. But in emphasizing the relationship between Clara and the Nutcracker, the production also gains a touching subtext of first love.

Peter Wright's interpretation of The Nutcracker has been enchanting children and adults alike since its first performance by The Royal Ballet in 1984

The Nutcracker (2016)

For over 70 years, the magic of Christmas has come alive at New York’s Lincoln Center. Now, you can bring this cherished holiday tradition into your home.

With masterful choreography, lavish costumes, and Tchaikovsky's timeless score, the enchanting tale of young Marie's dreamlike journey unfolds. An onstage blizzard whisks her to the Land of Sweets, where mischievous mice battle toy soldiers. The iconic "Sugar Plum Fairy" pas de deux, celebrated for its beauty and technical precision, stands out, along with the mesmerizing "Waltz of the Flowers" and "March of the Wooden Soldiers." Tiler Peck shines as the Marzipan Shepherdess, showcasing exceptional artistry and control.

The costumes, designed by Karinska, are true masterpieces. Notably, Mother Ginger's towering gown, spanning 9 feet wide and weighing 85 pounds, as well as a sparkling Christmas tree that magically grows to 40 feet before your eyes.

Immerse yourself in a holiday classic of dance, music, and wonder as Marie is whisked away to the enchanted Land of Sweets.

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker

A hundred years later, the Lilac Fairy shows Prince Désiré the sleeping Princess in a vision. He falls in love and sets out to find her. When he kisses her, the spell is broken and she awakes. She chooses him as her husband, and they celebrate their marriage with a lavish masked ball.

In Sleeping Beauty, the Prince kisses Princess Aurora, her spell is broken and she awakes and they celebrate their marriage with a masked ball.

Sleeping Beauty

Watch three bite-sized performances inspired by Tchaikovsky’s iconic Swan lake. 

Choreographer Eric Gauthier asked star choreographers Hofesh Shechter, Cayetano Sato, and Marco Goecke tending to take a single aspect or idea from the classic swan lake and transform it into something completely unique. There are no swans or white tutus here. Instead, each piece is a new and exciting creation. 

Hofesh Schechter’s Swan Cake is a burst of energy featuring 8 dancers in constant motion. 

Cayetano Sato’s Untitled for 7 Dancers is a moody exploration of transformation set to an electro-score by the young composer and cellist Peter Gregson.

Marco Goecke’s Shara Nur was inspired by a lake in Russia whose water is rumored to turn the body red after a swim.

Eric Gauthier asked choreographers to create their very own version of Tchaikovsky‘s ballet “SWAN LAKE”.

Swan Lakes

Scottish Ballet’s 50th anniversary year comes to a spectacular close with the world premiere of The Snow Queen. This glittering new production is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s much-loved tale – which was also the basis for Frozen. It will be set to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov, performed live by the full Scottish Ballet Orchestra. From the bustle of a winter’s market to the shivers of a fairytale forest, take a journey to the Snow Queen’s palace, where you’ll find her surrounded by the icy fragments of an enchanted mirror. Along the way you’ll meet a colourful cast of characters, from young lovers parted by a spell to a circus ringmaster with a few tricks up his sleeve.

Scottish Ballet’s 50th anniversary year comes to a spectacular close with the world premiere of The Snow Queen.

The Snow Queen

Although largely humorous with a healthy sense of irony, the ballet tackles a fundamentally serious theme: the search for one’s better half. In a world where authenticity is eroded by convention, finding the perfect partner is no small feat, and Shakespeare’s play remains as relevant as ever. Rejecting male dominance within the couple unit, Jean-Christophe Maillot chose to focus on what’s vital in a romantic relationship.

Although largely humorous with a healthy sense of irony, the ballet tackles a fundamentally serious theme: the search for one’s better half.

Taming of the Shrew

Wayne McGregor’s Dyad 1929, made for The Australian Ballet and featuring an electrifying score by Steve Reich, tests the limits of classical movement in a laboratory-white set.

Hailed by critics as a “total work of art”, this unmissable ballet stars promising young dancers like Adam Bull and Amber Scott.

Wayne McGregor choreographed and created Dyad 1929 for the Australian Ballet.

Dyad 1929

The story takes place in Naples where Pulcinella is a local rogue with an eye for the girls. Rosetta, Isabella and Prudenza are infatuated with him, much to the irritation of their boyfriends and Pulcinella's wife, Pimpinella. One night, the boyfriends lie in wait for Pulcinella and beat him soundly. To escape, Pulcinella falls down 'dead' and the men sneak guiltily away, leaving the 'corpse' to be discovered by their girlfriends. Meanwhile, Pimpinella, having caught Pulcinella flirting once too often, persuades her friends to disguise themselves as Pulcinella and pester the girls, to teach them a lesson. When the girls and their boyfriends see the fake Pulcinellas, they are convinced they are seeing ghosts. Pimpinella arrives, the fake Pulcinellas reveal themselves, and the real Pulcinella re-appears. The lovers ask forgiveness, and everyone celebrates.

The story takes place in Naples where Pulcinella is a local rogue with an eye for the girls.

Pulcinella

Set outside of place and time, Graeme Murphy’s Romeo & Juliet is a transcendent ode to the timeless love story. 

Spanning multiple locations, vividly realized by set designer Gerard Manion and fashion designer Akira Isogawa, this striking ballet centers on the universal tale of love overcoming adversity. 

With nuanced performances from principal dancers Madeline Eastoe and Kevin Jackson, this unique take on the classic love story was filmed at the Sydney Opera House.

Graeme Murphy reimagines Romeo and Juliet for a striking ballet filmed at the Sydney Opera House.

Romeo and Juliet

With choreography by legendary French dancer and ballet master, Marius Petipa, Paquita is a wonderful display of triumphant leaps, intricate footwork and movement at its best. 

Originally choreographed for the Paris Opéra Ballet in 1846 by Joseph Mazilier, the story centers on a Spanish gypsy named Paquita, who saves the life of Lucien, a French aristocrat. When she discovers that she is herself of noble blood, they marry in a big celebration.

This performance acts as a sparkling showcase for the Australian Ballet.

The Australian Ballet presents Paquita, the exuberant ballet featuring choreography by legend Mairus Petipa.

Paquita

Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland burst onto the stage in 2011 in an explosion of color, stage magic and inventive, sophisticated choreography. Joby Talbot’s score combines contemporary soundworlds with sweeping melodies that gesture to ballet scores of the 19th century. Bob Crowley’s wildly imaginative, eye-popping designs draw on everything from puppetry to projections to make Wonderland wonderfully real. 

Alice encounters a cast of extraordinary and instantly recognizable characters, from the highly strung Queen of Hearts – who performs a hilarious send-up of The Sleeping Beauty’s famous Rose Adage – to a playing card corps de ballet, a sinuous caterpillar and a tap-dancing Mad Hatter. But the ballet does not avoid the darker undercurrents of Lewis Carroll’s story: a nightmarish kitchen, an eerily disembodied Cheshire Cat and the unhinged tea party are all here in vivid detail. The delicious result shows The Royal Ballet at its best, bringing together world-class dance with enchanting family entertainment.


Fall down the rabbit hole with the Royal Ballet's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

The 2016 production of Frederick Ashton’s final works, Rhapsody, features ballet stars Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae. 

Filmed at London’s Royal Opera House, Rhapsody has long been a favorite for ballet fans. First created in 1980 at the request of Mikhail Baryshnikov, the ballet is set to Sergey Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. 

The male Principal’s role is characterized by exceptionally fluent leaps, turns and lightness of movement, inspired by Baryshnikov himself. It is twinned with the strength and grace of the ballerina, a role created for the pure, fleet-footed style of former Royal Ballet Principal Lesley Collier. The first performance of Rhapsody was given in honor of The Queen Mother’s 80th birthday in 1980.

Experience the 2016 production of Frederick Ashton’s Rhapsody, filmed at the Royal Opera House and starring Natalia Osipova.

Rhapsody

Symphonic Variations was Frederic Ashton’s first work after World War II, and one of the Company’s first to be performed on the huge main stage of the Royal Opera House, in 1946. With six dancers performing a series of quartets, duets, sextets and solos to Franck’s brooding Variations symphoniques, this seminal masterpiece celebrates the pure beauty of movement.

Ashton celebrates movement with six dancers in a series of quartets, duets, sextets and solos to Franck’s brooding Variations symphoniques.

Symphonic Variations

In a new production for the Royal Swedish Ballet, Eskapist is an entrancing, enthralling testament to the power of dance. 

Choreographed by Alexander Ekman with music from Mikael Karlsson, Eskapist revels in pushing the limits of what can be done on a stage, and the boundless potential of dance. Moving, funny, uplifting and other-worldly, this stunning production is not to be missed.

With Eskapist, Alexander Ekman choreographs a bold new work for the Swedish Royal Ballet.

Eskapist

The Royal Ballet’s In Her Hands is part of Marquee TV’s free Summer Shorts series, shining light on new and alternative productions, plus hidden gems. 

Starring Natalia Osipova, the production is set in Paris, 1892, and is inspired by the life and work of French sculptors Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin. 

Set to the haunting melody of Fauré’s Elegie in C Minor Op24, the production includes choreography by the Royal Ballet’s Valentina Zucchetti.

The Royal Ballet’s In Her Hands stars Natalia Osipova and reflects on the relationship between French sculptors, Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin.

In Her Hands

The Australian Ballet presents La Sylphide, in a production by Erik Bruhn after August Bournonville’s nineteenth-century original. A ballet in two acts, La Sylphide tells the tale of the Scottish dreamer James, who is fascinated by a woodland sprite and spurns his fiancée to follow her. Intent on capturing the ethereal beauty for his own, he accepts the help of the vengeful witch Madge, who leads him to his downfall.

The Australian Ballet presents La Sylphide, in a production by Erik Bruhn after August Bournonville’s nineteenth-century original.

La Sylphide

The Merry Widow ballet is an adaptation of Franz Lehár's romantic operetta The Merry Widow. Originally commissioned by The Australian Ballet and premiering in November 1975

The Merry Widow ballet is an adaptation of Franz Lehár's romantic operetta The Merry Widow.

Merry Widow

Recommendations

Starring characters from Scottish Ballet’s most popular festive ballets, the worlds of the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy collide when the theater bursts into life with the Secret Theatre feature film. 

In this spectacular film, audiences are treated to an extraordinary show filled with acrobats, snowflakes, clowns, princes, and – of course – beautiful ballerinas.

A stunning feature length film starring characters across the Scottish Ballet’s most festive ballets, including Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy.

Secret Theatre

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