Glitter, sugar and snowflakes: The Nutcracker returns to the ROH

Gary Avis (Drosselmeyer)

Isabella Gasparini (Clara) and James Hay (Hans-Peter)

James Hay (Nutcracker) and the children of the Royal Ballet School

Yasmine Naghdi (Sugar Plum Fairy)

By Mark Pullinger, 06 December 2022

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“every Nutcracker brings in audiences seeing the ballet for the first time; Avis never forgets this”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 6 December 2022

The Nutcracker (Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Sir Peter Wright)

The Royal Ballet

Barry Wordsworth, Conductor

Sir Peter Wright, Director

Julia Trevelyan Oman, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Mark Henderson, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Yasmine Naghdi, Dancer

Matthew Ball, Dancer

Gary Avis, Dancer

Isabella Gasparini, Dancer

James Hay, Dancer

Melissa Hamilton, Dancer

Lukas B Brændsrød, Dancer

Mayara Magri, Dancer

David Yudes, Dancer

Sae Maeda, Dancer

London Oratory Junior Choir

Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School

Acosta's Don Quixote for BRB: polished but not quite enough panache

Jonathan Gray, 23rd April

Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote for Birmingham Royal Ballet returned to Sadler's Wells with polished but low-key interpretations across the board.

***11

Natalia Makarova's La Bayadère: a night to remember in Oslo

Vikki Jane Vile, 17th April

Norwegian National Ballet gives a marvellous rendition of Natalia Makarova's La Bayadère. Opening night in Oslo was a strong argument for its place in any season, displaying ballet escapism at its best.

****1

José Martínez unveils his latest Don Quichotte in Palermo

Vito Lentini, 29th March

José Martínez has envisioned a Don Quichotte that recalls the original 19th century choreography while also acknowledging some of the notable 20th century versions and it's splendid looking.

****1

Dutch National Ballet's reimagined La Bayadère triumphs

Mark Vicente, 26th March

Dutch National Ballet's new production of La Bayadère does away with the ballet’s problematic gestures and movements, allowing the choreography to truly shine.

****1

American Ballet Theatre's double bill is short and sweet in New York

Ivy Lin, 15th March

American Ballet Theatre presents Balanchine's Raymonda: Grand Pas Hongrois and Ratmansky's Firebird which showcases the company well and provides a strong contrast.

****1

Mejia debuts in a sumptuous Sleeping Beauty at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 12th February

Roman Mejia and a raft of soloist debuts galvanized Peter Martins' Sleeping Beauty. An elegant production with some incidental messiness and the structural liability of a princess' dependence on a kiss.

****1

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Glitter, sugar and snowflakes: The Nutcracker sparkles on its return to Covent Garden