Maybe not the best ever DVD production of The Nutcracker, but of the ones seen it is ranked very highly. The setting and costuming for Dance of the Flowers are rather drab and while Drosselmeier is reliably performed there are few productions of The Nutcracker where there is the sense that you forget he's there but unfortunately this production does that. The production does look absolutely beautiful though, festive, colourful and sumptuous. The Christmas party is homely and really does give you that warm feeling of Christmas and Act 2 gives off a fairy-tale-like feel that is every bit as magical. The camera work and picture quality are sharp and clear with the angles unobtrusive and accommodating for the dancers. The orchestra really revels in the style, beauty and pathos of Tchaikovsky's score, one of the greatest ballet scores ever written, while the conducting is one of incisive crispness with a good sense of control and drama. The choreography sparkles with elegance and wit, and the drama is heart-warming and magically atmospheric with a few dark moments- the battle with the toys and mice for instance- that don't come across as mean-spirited or vulgar. The Pas-De-Deux and Waltz of the Snowflakes are captivating, and the divertissements are charming. The dancing does justice to the choreography, everything looks so precise and graceful, even the more difficult steps. The Corps De Ballet dance impeccably, and the supporting roles are very tastefully filled but the stars are Nina Kaptsova and Artem Ovcharenko, both of whom are expressive actors and dance without fault here. There's no Sugar Plum Fairy in sight but Kaptsova dances her music as Marie truly beautifully. To conclude, real ballet magic in almost all areas. 9/10 Bethany Cox
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