Paris Opera Ballet

The Nutcracker

In Cinemas 25, 26 & 29 Jul 2026
Conductor
Andrea Quinn
Orchestra
Orchestre de l’Opera national de Paris
Cast
Dorothée Gilbert (Clara), Guillaume Diop (Drosselmeyer/The Prince), Paris Opera Premiers Danseurs and Corps de Ballet. With the participation of Paris Opera’s Dance School students. Paris Opera Orchestra, Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine /Paris Opera Children Choir
Music
Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Choreography
Rudolf Nureyev
Designs
Nicholas Georgiadis
Duration
1h48 without interval
Captured live from Opéra Bastille, Paris, Dec 2023
  • This blockbuster production, which has become a classic of dance in the broadest sense – as was to be expected given Nureyev’s talent – blends fairy tales, childhood and celebration.
    LE MONDE
    Masterfully brings together the joy of Christmas and the subconscious of a little girl plagued by a nightmare.
    L'EXPRESS

Ballet in two acts (1985)

Celebrate Christmas in July with Rudolf Nureyev’s lavish, visually spectacular reimagining of The Nutcracker. With fantastical sets and costumes, it draws on the strange, dreamlike spirit of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original tale and transforms this festive favourite into a darker, more complex journey through childhood imagination.

On Christmas Eve, young Clara (Dorothée Gilbert) is gifted a nutcracker doll. Holding it in her arms, she falls asleep and drifts into a surreal world where toys come to life. Surrounded by toy soldiers, rats and oversized dolls, she journeys through landscapes of snow and enchantment, guided by the wooden puppet transformed into Prince Charming (Guillaume Diop), as she confronts her fears and desires.

Set to Tchaikovsky's iconic score, this is The Nutcracker as you’ve never seen it before.

Paris Opera Ballet

The Paris Opera Ballet, rich in historical tradition, stages some 180 performances per season in Paris, the French regions and abroad. Over the years it has played host to many of the world’s greatest choreographers: George Balanchine, Serge Lifar, Rudolf Nureyev, Roland Petit, Maurice Béjart, and of course Pina Bausch.

See more productions from: Opéra national de Paris