Please
select:
The Nutcracker
The premier of what is known to be one of the world’s most famous ballets, The Nutcracker, took place at the Mariinsky Theatre of Russia in 1892. Mikhail Shemiakin, Russian émigré and world-renowned avant-garde artist and sculptor reinterpreted the historical ballet to suit a more colorful audience. Known as the sophisticated and witty Nutcracker, Mikhail Shemiakin’s version is a more unconventional production different from the traditional versions popular at Christmas.
This unique interpretation was filmed in the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, home of the Kirov Ballet Academy and the Nutcracker’s original stage. This production showcases the eye-catching costumes and startling staging designed by Mikhail Shemiakin. An exhibition of Shemiakin’s costume and design sketches used in the staging of the ballet was presented in the private collections of the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.
“First-rate performances by the principals, Irina Golub as Masha, Leonid Sarafanov as the Prince and fabulous Anton Adasinsky as Drosselmeyer. Golub has childlike charm and sparkling dancing. The most delightful surprise is the eloquently expansive performance of Ekaterina Kondaurova as the Queen of Snows.” – Ballettalk.com
Synopsis
Preparations for the Christmas Eve dinner are underway in Counsellor Stahlbaum's house. Guests gather and Masha’s godfather Drosselmeyer arrives with gifts for the family. Masha is left with the toy no one wants, the Nutcracker. After the guests have left, Masha slips back to the parlour to see the enchanting Nutcracker. She sees rats in ball gowns, and frightened, she faints. A transformation begins after which Masha witnesses an amazing battle, assisting the Nutcracker to win, before journeying through a snowstorm to Confiturenburg (the Land of the Sweets). With a kiss, Masha breaks a spell and the Nutcracker is transformed into a Prince. Their wedding waltz begins.
Ballet in 2 acts
Company: Mariinsky Theatre (Kirov) Ballet Company
Choreographer: Kirill Simonov
Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Approximate duration: 1 hour 29 minutes
World's Greatest Ballets
CinemaLive proudly presents a selection of the world's most beautiful ballets... More
|
The Pharaoh's Daughter Bolshoi Theatre Ballet Company |
|
Swan Lake Kirov Ballet Company |
|
Bolt Bolshoi Theatre Ballet Company |
|
Mediterranea La Scala Ballet Company |
|
Don Quixote Kirov Ballet Company |
|
Stravinsky & The Ballets Russes Kirov Ballet Company |
|
The Nutcracker Kirov Ballet Company |
 |
