Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Mark Henderson

Skilfully drawn characters and excellent dancing make this a great alternative to the plethora of Nutcrackers during the festive season.

Led by Bryn Terfel's Scarpia and Natalya Romaniw's Tosca – not forgetting Aled Hall's scene-stealing Spoletta – this revival of Jonathan Kent's 2006 staging is urgently paced. 

Akram Khan's Giselle becomes ever more watchable with every viewing. A rollercoaster version of the traditional classic.

Tosca is back for another run, more dimly lit than ever, but illuminated by French baritone Ludovic Tézier as a Scarpia oozing with sinister charm and ironic humour. 

A revival low on dramatic power and emotional temperature, despite a fine Royal Opera debut by conductor Karen Kamensek. 

The Royal Ballet's lavish Nutcracker provided a plethora of outstanding performances on its opening night.

English National Ballet appears refreshed and revitalised under its new artistic director.

The Norwegian soprano scores a major success at Covent Garden in her role debut as Elisabetta, whetting appetites for more Verdi to come. 

Sir Peter Wright’s classic Royal Ballet production returns for another festive run to enchant the young – and not so young – at Covent Garden. 

English National Ballet tours its outgoing artistic director's revision of Petipa's Raymonda, but it's Glazunov who proves the real winner. 

In a face-off between Gabriele Viviani's Scarpia and Malin Byström’s Tosca in this solid revival of Jonathan Kent's 2006 production, there could only be one winner

Tamara Rojo's English National Ballet takes Akram Khan's version of Giselle, created on the company, to the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Petipa's classical choreography and Glazunov's ravishing score fuse with a reimagined narrative and bold choreographic additions to create a new Raymonda for the 21st century.

A change of tenor mid-performance adds further drama to a night at the opera in Covent Garden...

Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov still reign over The Kingdom of Sweet as The Nutcracker returns to Covent Garden for a marathon run of performances over the Christmas season. 

Akram Khan's bold reimagining of Giselle continues to go from strength to strength. After touring to venues from Moscow to Chicago, it returns to Sadler's Wells. 

The invention, clarity and freshness of the choreography is breathtaking throughout, made even more so by outstanding performance. This new Giselle is a masterpiece, taking English National Ballet to new heights.

English National Ballet scores another triumph with Akram Khan's darkly reimagined interpretation of the greatest of all Romantic ballets.

Ein beklemmendes psychologisches Drama... jedoch lässt die choreographische und musikalische Spannung nach Beginn schnell nach.

Pour sa dernière apparition sur scène et alors qu'elle s'apprête à quitter l'English National Ballet pour le poste de directrice artistique du San Francisco Ballet, Tamara Rojo a livré une grande performance.