ENB's new Nutcracker more than satiates an acute sugar craving

Ivana Bueno as Clara and Francesco Gabriele Frola as the Nutcracker Prince in Nutcracker

Anna Nevzorova as the Ice Queen with English National Ballet in Nutcracker

Ivana Bueno as Clara with dancers of English National Ballet in Nutcracker

Rhys Antoni Yeomans as the Nutcracker Doll in Nutcracker

Emma Hawes as Sugar Plum Fairy and Aitor Arrieta as Sugar Plum Cavalier in Nutcracker

By Graham Watts, 15 December 2024

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“Act 2 is where the magic of this production truly shines”

Reviewed at The London Coliseum, London on 12 December 2024

The Nutcracker (Aaron Watkin, Arielle Smith)

English National Ballet

Maria Seletskaja, Conductor

Dick Bird, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Paul Pyant, Lighting Designer

English National Ballet Philharmonic

Emma Hawes, Dancer

Aitor Arrieta, Dancer

Ivana Bueno, Dancer

Francesco Gabriele Frola, Dancer

Junor Souza, Dancer

James Streeter, Dancer

Rentaro Nakaaki, Dancer

Anna Nevzorova, Dancer

Dutch National's Junior Company sets ballet to new rhythms

Mark Vicente, 23rd January

The Dutch National's Junior company dazzled in three new works and a Balanchine classic, showcasing the stars of tomorrow.

****1

Candy-crazed: ENB’s sweet-toothed Nutcracker returns

Mark Pullinger, 11th December

Returning for its first anniversary, Arielle Smith and Aaron S Watkin’s Nutcracker for English National Ballet remains a feast for hungry eyes, despite its flaws.

***11

The Royal Ballet School: a triumphant display of excellence throughout

Jonathan Gray, 12th July

It was a wonderful, heartening afternoon – it’s no wonder nearly all the 2025 graduates have gained contracts with several major ballet companies.

*****

Royal Ballet School, Next Generation: championing young choreographers

Amanda Jennings, 24th June

Overall, The Royal Ballet School delivers much to admire, but reminiscent of a multiple-course banquet that still leaves you reaching for the cheese and biscuits when you get home.

***11

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Luna: uneven, but with high points

Deborah Weiss, 23rd October

Visually pleasing, superbly danced and musically rousing, yet Luna doesn’t quite reach the pinnacle.

***11

Drawing from tradition but not in thrall to it: London City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 17th September

While most in the audience at New York's Joyce Theater might not have known the original London City Ballet, their affection was palpable at the close of this program.

****1

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Graham Watts

Graham Watts is a freelance dance writer and critic writing regularly for Dancing Times, Dance Europe, Danza Europa, and many more publications. He regularly writes features for Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum and La Scala. Chairman of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in the United Kingdom and of the UK National Dance Awards he has interviewed many of the greatest names in dance including Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Andris Liepa, Sir Peter Wright, David Bintley and Dame Gillian Lynne. When not involved in dance Graham is a keen fencer, and has captained the British Sabre team.