Beyond The Nutcracker

Raymond Briggs’ beloved 1978 picture book, The Snowman, was first adapted for ballet in 1993 by Robert North. Taking further inspiration from Diana Jackson’s 1982 award-winning animated film, North was joined by the film's composer Howard Blake who wrote additional music for the production. The uplifting Christmas Eve adventure featuring a young boy and a magical snowman who comes to life originally premiered in Sweden running successfully for several seasons before being revised in the late nineties into a two-act production for the Scottish Ballet. This later version of The Snowman, which continues to be performed today, includes updated songs and additional characters, such as the Ice Princess and Jack Frost to the delight of audiences.

In what has to be one of the saddest Christmas stories of all time, Hans Christian Andersen’s heartbreaking tale of a young girl unsuccessfully trying to sell matches on an icy New Year’s Eve was adapted into a dance production in 2013.

Choreographed by Arthur Pita with music by Frank Moon, A Little Match Girl premiered at Jerwood DanceHouse in Ipswich, England and has since toured across the United Kingdom, Taiwan and China. Pita’s retelling of the little match girl’s final hours uses the emotional storytelling of dance combined with mime to strike a balance between the darker aspects of humanity and the kindness of strangers, to ultimately leave audiences with a message of hope.

What could be more Christmas than Irish dancing? While it may not be the first thing you think of when planning for the festive season, the all-singing, all-dancing A Taste of Ireland presents a Christmas show like no other. Featuring former World Irish dance champions alongside the stars of Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, A Celtic Christmas blends the melodic beauty of Ireland’s finest musicians and folk songs with epic tap dance battles, Christmas carols, storytelling, and of course, traditional Irish charm to bring you a heartfelt festive experience.  

The longest-running precision dance company in America, the Rockettes have been a staple of the holiday season since they debuted their Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in 1933. The iconic Parade of the Wooden Soldiers is one of the most famous symbols of American culture and features 36 Rockettes, performing precise formations in perfect unison. The grand finale of the almost 100-year-old production is the breathtaking ‘wooden-soldier fall’, as the Rockettes fall perfectly in line, three-foot hat and all! 

The 1942 movie musical that introduced the world to Irving Berlin’s hit song White Christmas, Holiday Inn starred Bing Crosby alongside Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale and Walter Abel. A classic in its own right, the film was updated and adapted for the stage in 2014, premiering in Connecticut before transferring to Broadway in 2016. More recently, Hayes Theatre Company performed the dazzling production brimming with vibrant musical numbers and golden-age Hollywood charm with choreography and direction by Sally Dashwood.