The Nutcracker – Sugar Plum pas de deux: Adagio (Nuñez, Muntagirov, The Royal Ballet)

Peter Wright's interpretation of The Nutcracker has been enchanting children and adults alike since its first performance by The Royal Ballet in 1984. Lev Ivanov's 1892 ballet combined with Tchaikovsky's sumptuous, iconic score are presented in a festive period setting with vivid designs to make this a charming and magical production. Loosely based on the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, the ballet begins in the 19th-century German home of the Stahlbaums, where they are hosting a lively Christmas party. The period setting is captured in opulent detail by Julia Trevelyan Oman's designs, which include authentic Christmas tree decorations that are magically brought to life. Wright's choreography ingeniously incorporates surviving fragments of the ballet's original material, including the sublime pas de deux for the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince. But in emphasizing the relationship between Clara and the Nutcracker, the production also gains a touching subtext of first love.

[RoyalBalletAndOpera]

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[succhiatoredelcazzo]

Everyone's talking about the ballet dancing but few know really that Tchaikovsky wrote this melody as he imagined his late sister dancing, who he had just lost to illness right before he came back to russia and composed this

[selenemartinez]

Am I the only person who watches ballet and want to do it but can't because they're already to old to start classes but still watches it because if how grateful and beautiful it me...okay.

[julianezambrano]

Everytime Marianela smiles, seems like she's having the happiest moment of her entire life. It's so refreshing to watch her.

[kp]

Dude. They look EXACTLY like the jewelry box classic paintings of ballet. Marianela looks JUST like a ballerina in a music box here! These two are absolutely gorgeous! I love them so much!

[savannahlee]

Ballet is so overlooked!! People don’t realize she has trained her entire life in order to be able to do that and make it look effortless!! The man as well! He has to lift a full grown woman in the air effortlessly!

[isabellep]

Obviously their dancing is amazing, but besides that their heights are very nice and really compliment each other. Their costumes are just gorgeous and their expressions are perfect throughout the entire performance. These ‘little things’ seem not as important, but they really take a performance to the next level and get the audience to believe the story they are telling

[alexl]

I cry every time I hear this performed live. I always thought this was about people saying good bye forever, like they’d never see each other again. Then I learned Tchaikovsky wrote this right after the death of his sister Alexandra. 😭 😭 😭 so beautiful and sad and uplifting at the same time.

[theeclecticgirl]

Their body alignments and attention to detail is impeccable

[joscarman]

She has so much joy and warmth in her interpretation. And he's a wonderful partner. Superb.

[cherylzane]

How she raises her head EXACTLY with the music at 5:40. #sublime

[lilianlancon]

At 90 I am still enjoying these old videos & wish I could be there!!

[Valentne_]

their synchronization at 3:15 always give me goosebumps

[ahcaroles]

5:28 that little smile towards Clara before turning. she's so cute and perfect gaaaahhh

[xbjrrtc]

The 180° angle between his left leg and her lifted leg so so gorgeous at 2:12

[charliep]

Can we all take a moment to appreciate the elegant effortlessness of Vadim’s lifts, particularly at 3:53, 4:03 and 4:52? His technique is faultless.

[sweetanimepotato]

6 minutes on pointe !!!! Only ballerinas know how painful is this and how hardly did she work to be that smooth on the stage !!! Respect for both of them

[anneharrison]

This is just wonderful, I've seen plenty of other couples do it on stage/film and in rehearsal, but Vadim and Marianela take it a step further, there are so many places when a subtle head angle difference or the way an arm is moved that lifts the whole performance to a different level. It's the first time I've seen the Cavalier look like he's in love with the Sugar Plum Fairy, but not in a way that makes it overly romantic or outside the story line. Just lovely!

[HunterSlayer]

3:51 When it hits that part I always wanna cry. The ending to this part is always so beautiful, the music and the dance.

[geoffreypinchen]

A wonderful performance and almost certainly Tchaikovsky's most beautiful and emotionally-charged piece of music he had ever written.