Nutcracker Staged at Academy’s Theater

On December 24th – 27th the Bolshoi Ballet Academy staged the Nutcracker (version by Vasili Vainonen) at its own theater. Before the 2025 New Year festivities, students took the stage in order to give the audience a gift of joy and magic. 

The staging had taken more than three months, becoming a unique event in the history of the Academy. Huge screens projecting decorations for the enchanted world of Ernst Hoffmann’s were put upon the stage, whereas wonderful music by Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky was performed live after a long while. А team of musicians from Yuri Bashmet’s Youth Symphonic Orchestra of Russia (conductor — Igor Razumovsky) along with the Orpheus Television and Radio Center Grand Children’s Choir assisted the staging of the celebrated ballet.

The shows featured a number of foreign students perfecting their craft at the Academy: Mayuko Fujii (Masha in the stage rehearsal on December 24th), Tomo Ikemoto and Hana Yoshitomi (Chinese dance), Pham Gia Minh (Mice king and Chinese dance), Samad Eyvasli (Mice King, Moor doll), Leung Ching Lam (Spanish dance), Francesca Operto (Snowflakes), Stella Maria Huiss (Oriental dance) and Alix De Tholomese De Prinsac (Butterflies).

All students performed their parts to the best of their ability. The show became the highlight of the first half of 2024/25 academic year. Great job, students!

Photos by Elizaveta Emel'kina.