Dancing the Nutcracker - Inside the Royal Ballet

Once upon a time,

there was a little girl who dreamt of becoming a fairy...

..and not just any fairy.

The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Every year, that dream has a chance of coming true

in one very special place -

in the Royal Ballet's production of The Nutcracker...

..a fantasy about an enchanted nutcracker doll

and a young girl called Clara.

The ballet tells the story of their battle with the Mouse King

and their journey to the Kingdom Of The Sweets

to meet the Sugar Plum Fairy and her prince.

And whoosh! Two, three, four...

This year, for the very first time,

they've let the cameras in to witness the magic behind the scenes.

..five, six, seven, eight, mouse!

From the students of the Royal Ballet school...

-Wobbly.

-Wobbly.

-Do you feel like a gingerbread now?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

..to the sparkling Sugar Plum Fairy and her handsome prince.

You just have to embrace the glitter.

It's never going to be worse than that.

..we'll see the long journey every girl and boy has to make

to fulfil their dancing dreams.

Every year, the story of the Royal Ballet's Christmas production

of The Nutcracker starts on one very particular day.

Casting day.

We start rehearsals for Nutcracker next week,

so we're just about to put the whole cast up

so the whole company can see what they're doing for Christmas.

But we've got 27 shows. It's the biggest we've ever done.

And it's quite nice, cos it gets the young ones

a chance to be able to do a major classical role on stage, so it's...

it's great for them.

This is when the dancers find out

who has and who hasn't been given the roles

they've always dreamed of dancing.

Is this like a wall of dreams?

A wall of tears, also.

When Nutcracker goes up, some will be very, very happy

and some people might not be as happy as they thought.

-What?!

-Oh, no...

You know, some people have been doing some of the roles

for quite a few years and other people are doing new things,

so they get excited cos it's a new role for them and a new challenge.

Mike, we've moving on up. It's a good day.

Same as always... but that's Nutcracker.

Come on!

One person for whom this year's casting is a dream come true

is 24-year-old Francesca Hayward,

one of the Royal Ballet's most promising young stars.

This year, I'm doing the Sugar Plum Fairy for the first time,

which is very exciting.

It's very cool, seeing my name here next to, like,

all these other names, as well.

Kind of a "pinch me" moment.

Seen by many as Britain's next great ballerina,

Francesca has joined the company's biggest stars,

having worked her way up to the top rank of the company

in just five years.

I was told I was going to be a principal at the end of last season,

and it just seems really surreal.

I'm at the top rank of the Royal Ballet. That's...

Like, just saying that sounds really weird.

For director Kevin O'Hare,

the Sugar Plum Fairy is the first role

he gives to fledgling ballerinas he thinks are ready to fly.

I think this is a really important moment in Francesca's career.

So now I feel that it's time

that she really goes for those big classics

and there's no bigger, really,

than being the Sugar Plum Fairy, is there?

The image that everybody has of a ballerina,

that is the Sugar Plum Fairy.

It is one of the hardest, hardest roles you can possibly do.

MUSIC: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky

Danced by some of the Royal Ballet's most famous names

from Margot Fonteyn to Darcey Bussell,

it's the role any young dancer has to master to become

a truly great ballerina.

Here at the Royal Ballet, of course,

we want it to look as if you've been doing it for years,

you're assured, you're the icing on the cake.

You've got to do it absolutely perfectly, look beautiful,

look like you're totally in charge.

The Sugar Plum Fairy has to deliver or else the show just falls flat.

How could it just disappear?

My bunion is so sore today, so I've got the biggest toe separator in.

-Look how big it is!

-You look like Mrs Hannigan from Annie.

LAUGHTER

I'm joking.

I knew you'd be naked!

Francesca's magical rise through the ranks

means leaving her friends in the communal dressing room

for a room of her own.

So, today's the day... Oh, Frankie!

-Sad and happy.

-I have a break until about 4:30 if you need any help.

-Thank you.

-Cool.

It does feel like a big day, but I don't know... I feel a bit sad.

I'm just going to miss everyone, I guess, yeah.

I'll miss the atmosphere up here and the support that everyone gives you.

It does feel like a big step, it's like the end of a big chapter.

We've known each other since we were eight.

So, she's basically my closest friend, so, yeah.

That's why it's sad.

GIRLS LAUGH

I can understand Frankie thinking,

"Ooh, it's going to be a bit lonely and a bit daunting,"

I think if I was in a room on my own,

I'd just be a bit paranoid that I was running late all the time

or something and I'd start, like, kind of going over steps,

and if you were doubting yourself

you wouldn't have your friend to ask.

Oh, that's really nice. This is my new home.

SHE GASPS

I've got a fridge.

That's a joke, because I have to share the fridge

with everyone else upstairs and it gets really smelly. OK.

Oh, I like it.

It's very quiet.

Good view. Look at this.

Here we go. There it is.

Every Sugar Plum Fairy needs her prince.

Francesca's this year is 29-year-old Australian dancer

Alexander Campbell.

Frankie and I haven't actually worked together that much.

You know, we're still, sort of, getting used to each other.

-Morning. How are you?

-Good.

'I'm very excited.

'There's a lot there to work on that could make it very special.'

Alongside Francesca,

this will also be his first classical role as a principal.

Being a principal of The Royal Ballet puts you in a position

where there's a standard that has to be met.

You know, the Royal Ballet has this incredible history,

-and, yeah, it's up to us to uphold that and to carry it forward.

-Yes!

When you're the young soloist coming through, I think people...

Well, it's probably in your mind,

but you think people are probably a little bit more lenient

and gunning for you a little bit.

Oh, yeah, you know, how well did that young soloist do?

You know, she's on her way, or he's on his way.

Then, all of a sudden, you're a principal. It's like, whoa.

You cannot drop below that standard no matter how young you are.

It's a lot of pressure.

-Hello!

-Hello!

-How are you, darling?

-How are you?

CAT MEOWS

For Francesca, dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy

has been a lifelong dream.

-Where are the other cats?

-I think they're probably hiding.

Born in Nairobi, she moved to England when she was just two

to live with her grandparents - Diana and John.

I'm absolutely thrilled that Francesca's a principal.

That's what she was sort of aiming for all her childhood.

It just feels like a fairy story somehow.

I sometimes just can't quite believe it's real.

Right, here we are. Hmm, do you remember?

FRANCESCA LAUGHS

-Miss Valerie's class.

-Wow. Look at how baggy my leotard is!

-Oh, yes!

Look! Cinderella, you were copying.

-That was actually the broom from the balcony, I remember.

-Yes.

I brought the outside broom into the living room to be Cinderella.

When Francesca was little,

she obviously didn't have a partner for all these big roles

she pictured herself in,

so, she often used a chair as a partner, or John, or Pixie.

You were a partner quite often, weren't you?

You've been the Sugar Plum Prince, haven't you?

I bet these were Miss Valerie's, weren't they?

Being at Miss Valerie's was really fun.

And one, two, three, and close.

One, two, three...

Valerie Le Serve's dancing school in Worthing

is where Francesca's ballet training began, when she was just three.

There's a good girl. Well done.

'When she first came into the baby class,

'the class that Evelyn is in now, Francesca had...'

that something that nobody else has, that's different

from all the other pupils, that charisma, that aura, something.

She just walked in and the posture,

and everything was there from day one.

I mean, she was a joy to teach, you know, because she was so focused

and dedicated that no matter what you told her to do, she could do.

This is my ballet wall about Francesca,

and it starts out, really,

when she won the Young Dancer Of The Year Award in 2010,

but because I've run out of wall,

I'm sort of having to go over the top of everything.

Miss Valerie was the first to spot Francesca's budding talent,

and encouraged her to audition for the Royal Ballet's junior school,

known as White Lodge.

When she went to White Lodge, I really missed her

in the classes here,

but you can't stop your pupils from forwarding their careers.

You know, it was what she had to do, so my loss was her gain,

let's put it that way.

# Stars shining bright above you... #

Tucked away in Richmond Park, once a royal hunting lodge,

White Lodge is the junior wing of the Royal Ballet School.

BELL RINGS

# Birds singing in the sycamore trees

# Dream a little dream of me... #

This is where Francesca and countless other Royal Ballet stars,

such as Darcey Bussell, started their formal training, aged just 11.

One of the school's ballet teachers is Hope Keelan.

Francesca Hayward, here.

Francesca's year group, that she was with, there was a lot of talent

in the year group, and she made my teaching look fabulous, and...

You know, she could take my enchainment somewhere

where I didn't know it could go,

because her soul, even in Year Eight,

just loved her ballet.

And you can't teach that drive. You can inspire it,

but you can't teach it.

But there might be one short, because last time...

For the students at White Lodge, that inspiration begins

with the opportunity to dance in the Royal Ballet's Nutcracker.

It's a wonderful thing,

to have a production where so many children are involved.

I've got 78 children in Years Seven, Eight, and Nine,

and the goal has been to try and use all of them in Nutcracker.

Just like Francesca, who first danced with the Royal Ballet

in this production in Year Seven,

this will be their first step to becoming professional dancers.

The moment we start Nutcracker, the children realise why they're here.

It's a golden opportunity for our children to experience

what it's like to be on the Royal Opera House stage.

That's not just any stage - it's huge.

I'm going up for a small soldier, a page, a party child, and Fritz.

So quite a lot!

This year, I'm going for party child, Fritz, rabbit drummer,

tall soldier, small soldier...

We're both playing the part of gingerbreads.

And the gingerbreads come on, before the battle, and they're happy,

and then the battle starts, and they get really scared.

-And that's when, really, the dance properly starts, and...

-Yeah.

We're yummy, so we've got to look yummy on stage.

New boy Thomas, who's only been at the school for four weeks,

has his heart set on landing one of the most exciting junior roles

in the ballet - the rabbit drummer,

a starring part in one of The Nutcracker's most dramatic scenes -

the battle with the Mouse King.

There's six boys, so it's going to be quite hard

to get the rabbit drummer place, which I really want.

To be rabbit drummer is really cool,

because there's only one of you on stage,

so, like, for instance, there's so many tall soldiers,

but there's only one rabbit drummer and one sentry on stage,

and you can just be on your own there, and doing your own stuff.

Good boy. Big jump! Down.

It's difficult, because there's lots of little different steps

which you've got to pick up,

and different arms that are always going to be a bit change-y.

Thomas is up against boys older and more experienced than he is,

but he's no stranger to a challenge,

after spending Year Seven playing Billy Elliot on the London stage.

For his dancer mum and dad at home in Doncaster,

going for the rabbit drummer is evidence of Thomas' determination.

When he said, "They'll be casting Nutcracker," and everything,

we thought he might be a little bit,

"I'm not really sure whether I want to do that."

As soon as he got there,

because it was something where he had to push himself,

and it's competitive, I think he just saw everybody else and thought,

"Yeah, I really want to do this. This is what I want to do."

You could hear in his voice

that he desperately wants to try and get one of the parts,

so I think it's just in him, yeah, whatever it is.

Yeah.

Also dreaming of dancing in this year's Nutcracker

are the final year students

of the Royal Ballet School in Covent Garden.

Nobody talks in the morning, unless they want me

for anything specific, which sometimes you do, don't you?

But most of the time, they don't talk.

There's roughly around 10 hours a day of dancing, nine till six.

It's a tough life.

It's their final year of training, and they're about to audition

for one of the most magical scenes in the ballet -

the Dance of the Snowflakes.

In this scene, which takes place in the Land of Snow,

24 ballerinas transform themselves into snowflakes,

creating snow flurries that dance across the stage.

Dancing as a snowflake is a rite of passage for any budding ballerina

hoping to land a job with the Royal Ballet,

and the woman the students have to impress

is ballet mistress Samantha Raine.

It's a very busy period for us.

Some of the dancers here will be doing other roles,

which means we'll need students to fill in to THEIR role,

so I need at least five or six students

to make sure they know what they're doing,

and they could be thrown into different places.

Obviously, it's their dream to join the Royal Ballet,

and this is the first step, I suppose,

so I think they are obviously trying to impress.

They all want to work with the company.

One of the girls hoping to catch Sam's eye is 18-year-old Nadia.

Having Sam Raine coming over is quite scary,

because we're in the third year now, so we're kind of looking for a job.

In a way, it's like an audition every time she comes and teaches us.

Four, eight, down, four, eight, arabesque, and down, up...

You have to be so on the ball,

cos there's a lot of kind of running around and patterns,

and if you're not in the right place at the right time,

it can be really kind of...

It's all really fast, as well.

..three, four, five, six, one, two, arms!

We're working so hard underneath, and to everyone else it looks like

-we're just floating, in pointe shoes.

-No, we're not!

Now run out to make your circle.

Not only is Snowflakes the most complicated choreography

in the ballet, it's also gruelling on the body.

Snowflakes is really tough on your feet,

because there's a lot of pointe work, a lot of fast footwork.

I feel really disgusting!

I've just got really bruised toenails.

Yeah, they're pretty gross.

MUSIC: Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

For Francesca, becoming the Sugar Plum Fairy

will be the culmination of a wish she made

when she was just three years old.

It was a wish that came alive thanks to a precious family heirloom.

This is the very first ballet video I ever watched.

£9.99, it was, from WH Smith.

Good old Smith's!

I love Smith's.

As soon as you heard music, you had to get up, and danced.

'As soon as I saw it, I just wanted to be doing it, too.'

-I think you thought she really was a fairy.

-Yeah.

-A real fairy.

-Yeah.

Erm... And you just wanted to be her.

In my head, I was.

I had everything.

I had the dress on, and I was on stage, and people were clapping.

It has been an amazing thing, almost as if it was meant to happen.

And as if by magic, Francesca's first ever Sugar Plum,

Lesley Collier, has been given the task of helping her

transform into a fairy.

Today is their first rehearsal.

I feel Sugar Plum Fairy is danced mostly at Christmas time,

and I always felt, as a dancer,

that I had to give a present to that audience,

and I say that to people that I coach - "Remember it's a present".

Joining them is The Nutcracker's fairy godfather,

the ballet's choreographer, Sir Peter Wright.

He'll be overseeing this year's production on his 90th birthday.

A great Sugar Plum Fairy needs to have gone one step further

than just being a lovely ballerina,

doing all her beautiful steps and lifts and jumps and pirouettes.

She's got to feel and believe

that she's a magical being. She should be light and sparkling,

and weightless.

You make the audience think that you can really fly.

He has memories of Margot doing it.

I never saw Margot do it, but he has lovely memories,

and he tries to make all his Sugar Plums recreate that image

that he remembers, which is very nice, actually.

So I guess it's up to us to try to keep Peter's wishes alive

as best we can.

AUDIENCE CHEERS

Lesley was the first proper ballerina that I ever watched,

and so I feel that it represents everything

that you've trained years and years and years for to become a ballerina.

Now I've got to this stage, that's incredible,

but I'm a baby ballerina. Like, this is...

I mean, maybe if I look back on this in ten years, I'll laugh at myself,

and think, you know, how young and inexperienced I was.

All the way to the corner, and come round the front.

'It's so difficult to explain what makes a great Sugar Plum.

'She must look like a fairy,

'and she has to transport you to another world.

'I love Frankie. I love her a lot,'

because I find that I will have just

mentioned something to her, and I find that she does it.

I don't have to say it again. It's... She's a remarkable girl.

'I was emotional at times.

'There was one moment in that rehearsal, I did think,'

"I'm doing the Sugar Plum Fairy, and it's for real!"

Oh, that's good, lovely. You see, that's just the right line.

HE HUMS ALONG

The important thing is the whole pas de deux

is stress on Sugar Plum FAIRY.

So beautiful and sparkling and light, and all the time,

you look as if you're floating on the floor.

-But it's quite good...

-I think that was a very good rehearsal.

-Yes.

No, it's going to be lovely. Very good. You look very good together.

-And she looks like a fairy.

-Yes, yes, she does.

I think, you know, a lot of people have said, you know,

physically, we're a good match,

you know, height-wise and all the rest of it,

and then I think, actually, seeing you on stage,

and knowing what I like to perform...how I like to perform,

there's a possibility that's going to be a good match as well.

You never know until you get on and do it.

-But, all smiles at the moment, so...

-Yes.

Ballet marriage! Beautiful.

Get back to us in, like, three or four months, and we're divorced.

Ballet divorce!

Couples therapy!

No, I'm excited.

Stop it.

Every year, the full company rehearsals for The Nutcracker

begin with the arrival of guest principal ballet master

Christopher Carr.

We have five weeks to get this massive production on,

with all these casts.

This cast sheet is probably the most complicated cast sheet

we've ever had.

It's quite a big undertaking.

My blood pressure just goes, "Zoop"!

Mr Carr's first job is a visit to White Lodge,

where he, too, was once a student,

to cast the child roles in The Nutcracker.

It's like going back to school for me, going back through these gates.

Scary.

This is the moment the children have been building up to.

You have to give him what he wants, or he's not pleased.

He'll change every single thing, and he'll spend ages on you

doing your part, and that's quite daunting.

He's really exact.

It's so that he gets what he wants, so it's, like, top notch quality.

Your foot could be, like, a millimetre too high.

He'd say, "Too high, too high,"

and it'll be that much lower, and he'll go, "Perfect".

I think they build up this day a little bit in their minds,

that it's like make or break time, really.

I'm terrible with names, but, erm...

I'm quite good with steps, but I'm not so good with names.

That's what counts! So let's start with...

Why don't we get Casper to go first?

So, you're running to meet your family.

Yes! Exactly. Yeah.

First up to audition is 12-year-old Casper.

Yes!

All right, OK, so try not to do...

Yeah? Normal.

'As soon as I walk into the studio, I usually tell them,

' "You are not a dancer," '

exactly the opposite from what they've been taught at White Lodge.

The running on was good.

'I like them to be totally natural, as if they're enjoying themselves,

'really, and not really having trained as a dancer.'

We want it to be real. It has to be real.

Because I was the first one,

I was getting quite a lot of corrections,

but I don't take corrections in a bad way.

I think that they're a way they want you to improve,

and what I normally do is I write down all the corrections I get

after rehearsal or ballet class,

and then I just read through them before I go to bed,

and then I try and put them into place the next day,

and then hopefully I'll get new ones,

or hopefully he'll say it was good.

Either is nice.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. One...

I think it's a bit like the army when I'M taking rehearsal.

I mean, I...

I do drill a lot, because when they're performing,

there's a lot that can go wrong.

Tight foot! Ta-da!

'I give 1,000% of myself. I mean, I do. All day, I'm here.

'I'm a wreck when I get home at night, but, you know,

'it's fulfilling when the curtain goes up

'and you see what's been done, and how people improve,

'because you've screamed at them all day.'

Down, up, down.

Brush, brush, tap.

One, one, one, two, three. Chasse.

All right, OK.

If you're not together, even your mother will know you've gone wrong.

Next in line are the boys auditioning for the prized role

of the rabbit drummer.

It's make or break time for Thomas.

'Fingers crossed.

'I'll hopefully get it.'

But Thomas has to wait his turn, as the more senior boys are up first.

Get quicker up the second time. And up!

All right, OK, hang on...

With the time running out, not everyone can be seen.

Erm, come forward another set,

so let's look at the other set of rabbit drummers.

-This is the one you haven't seen.

-Right.

-Can I see this one very quickly?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Thomas or Aiden?

-They've both got...

-Who's the most senior?

-Thomas is.

-Thomas.

-No, Aiden.

-Aiden, Aiden, right, OK.

Unfortunately, it's not Thomas' day.

It was either me or Aiden, and he went, "Whoever's senior."

So I didn't get to perform, cos obviously, Aiden's in Year Nine,

so, he did it and I didn't get to do it, but, it was OK.

Oh, and you haven't seen little Thomas.

'I said, "Would you like to see these boys again?",'

and he picked the two that he wanted to see,

so he's made the decision, and he's the boss.

First and second we saw today.

'You know, these knocks is part of the training.

'They have no control over it.'

They just have to ride the wave. That's what it is.

For the student snowflakes in waiting, it's also casting day,

and it's good news for Nadia.

This could be her chance to shine on the Opera House stage.

My name's down for snowflakes, and flowers,

and sleeping beauty as well,

which is going on all at the same time!

'When I saw the casting, I kind of, like,'

had a little butterfly in my tummy and stuff, but mainly excitement.

And there's no time to rest -

it's straight off to the first snowflakes rehearsal

with the main company.

For the students, it is very daunting.

There's a lot to learn,

and there's a lot of pressure to come up to the level of the company.

I'm quite excited, but it's also quite nerve-racking,

cos it's still a bit intimidating, and they're all...

But it should be fun.

So come to the middle red, leaders.

Make this a circle. Try and bulge out.

Come to the middle red.

In this complex dance, one of the hardest challenges

is finding your marks while being constantly on the move.

In the studio, there are red marks on the floor.

Tape marks, but on stage, they denote the red lights,

basically, so it's a way of finding where you are on the stage,

cos you can imagine at the edge of the stage, it's just black,

so it helps the dancers to find exactly where they should be,

and with something like Snowflakes, every single place is essential.

And stop, and lift everything on that burst.

You know, everyone's trying to get to their place, their spot,

before the jete circle at the end.

And if you don't know, there's definitely going to be a crash.

I've seen a few wigs flying off in the past, as well!

Yeah, it's very unforgiving if you don't know what you're doing.

But, fortunately, because it's a team thing,

you'll have people who help you,

so I remember a girl going in last minute -

we had a very basic placing call for her,

and then she was on - and I remember just grabbing her waist

and moving her, so that she stayed in the same pattern.

So, yeah, we help each other out, and that's the way it works.

We'll get there eventually.

OK, stop, stop, stop, stop.

Yeah, it makes us feel better that some people here

are making mistakes as well.

That was useless, but carry on for now. Two, three...

It's so complicated, the counts,

and just everyone doing different things,

and each line is going a separate way, and...

It's so hard to keep your brain together.

That's it, good. Good. Very good, everyone. Not bad for a first time.

Over in the Kingdom of the Sweets, Francesca and Alexander

have also reached a key moment in their rehearsals.

OK, right, made a decision.

They will now run the entire piece from start to finish.

I just got a text right now from my nan,

wishing me good luck for my rehearsal for Sugar Plum,

cos she knew I was running it for the first time.

And who said being a fairy was easy?

For Francesca, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

is a gruelling 12-minute workout,

a long pas de deux, followed by a punishing solo.

-Good girl.

-Sorry.

No, don't be sorry. Don't be sorry. You've never done this before.

FRANCESCA SIGHS

My left foot.

Stretch your calves.

'Of course it's not easy.

'We haven't actually worked on it at all for a whole week,

'and Francesca particularly has to test how it feels,

'and then it'll give her the idea of what she's got to build on.

'It's about building stamina, to make it look effortless.'

'I think when you run it for the first time,

'it can be a little bit of a, you know, a reality check,

'and you realise,'

' "Actually, this is a lot harder than maybe I was anticipating," '

which is why it's good to do it sooner rather than later,

cos you don't want to run it two days before, and go,

"Oh, my God, I'm a long way away from where I need to be!"

After Alexander's solo,

Francesca then has a challenging 16 fouette turns,

before going straight into the finale with her prince.

You're basically relying on your autopilot,

so that's why you train for eight years,

because that's when you need it.

When you're that tired, you actually can't be thinking about it,

you just need to know it's going to happen.

And you hope that it will.

Well done. Well done. It's never going to be worse than that.

It's never going to be worse than that.

Are you OK?

My right leg just felt like it weighed about 10 stone in that solo!

It's fine. I'll be up soon.

I'm really impressed...

..cos I would never have done that so far away from the performance.

OK!

-So, we've got a nice long time to build that up.

-Yep.

OK? Have a breather.

Have a breather.

Yes, take them off and hang them up.

With three weeks to go until opening night,

it's all hands on deck to create the world of The Nutcracker.

Making magic takes hard work, and attention to detail.

# Have yourself a merry little Christmas

# Let your heart be light

# From now on, our troubles will be out of sight... #

Can I take a picture, please?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Just to freak everyone out.

-Thanks, Helen.

-SHE LAUGHS

Start from the beginning.

# If the fates allow

# Hang a shining star

# Upon the highest bough

# And have yourself

# A merry little Christmas now... #

We're revving up for the start of Nutcracker.

Rehearsals are really in full swing now,

and so it's all coming together

and we actually have to sort of glue it all

to make sure the magic of The Nutcracker

and the magic of Christmas comes together.

Nice and controlled.

Big push. Easy.

-I did stretch this one, as well.

-WOMAN CHUCKLES

# Now. #

For Sir Peter, there's one last job to do

to make this year's production extra special.

Four and five and six and seven...

For his 90th birthday, he's decided to re-choreograph

one of the most memorable dances in the ballet, the Chinese Dance.

Helping him are male soloists Marcelino and Luca.

-Hi.

-I'm Peter Wright.

-Hi, I'm Luca. Nice to see you.

I'm going to need you to show me

some fabulous steps and things, that you love doing.

-OK. Yes, no problem.

-Yes? Good.

It's always great to have the choreographer in the room.

And how fab for Luca and Marcelino to have time in the studio?

I mean, I saw them before and they were excited, you know.

And it's lovely for them to feel

they're part of this ongoing tradition

of The Nutcracker, and Peter's Nutcracker.

What about two back and then two...?

-They need something more in there.

-Before they go to her?

-Yes.

Is it a bit like...?

Yeah, something like that.

-Yes.

-HE LAUGHS

'When I'm creating a new dance,

'I do like to get the cooperation of the dancers involved.

'The two dancers were chosen because they're all brilliant dancers,

'and I thought, "This must be an opportunity

' "to show the men off and see what they can do." '

Sometimes, great moments of dance happen quite by accident.

-Oh!

-Oh!

But then Sir Peter always has an eye for something new.

And you could go further back and then...

-Yes. Yes!

-Yeah!

-THEY LAUGH

-Yes.

-Can you do that falling back after...?

-Can you fall?

-I can do the frog legs.

-Yeah!

-And then...

-THEY LAUGH

So, what, do the frogs and the splits flat?

And one, two, travel forward, forward.

Five, six, seven, eight.

And inwards, 10, 11, 12 and...

No, it's not hard. It's only half a second.

-It's really hard at the end of it.

-THEY LAUGH

-PETER WRIGHT:

-It's going to be fabulous. It really will.

The next step is actually going into the studio now

and actually make sure that we can do all the steps correctly.

Cos that was kind of like just, like, rushing through and, like,

really just exploring what we can actually do with it.

But then the next step is cleaning it up and making it look really,

really, like, amazing for opening night

so everybody really gets excited

to see a new choreography by Sir Peter Wright,

which is spectacular, to see him choreographing at this age.

You know, it's an honour for us, really.

Look! Ten past!

With four casts needed over the run of 27 shows,

it's now time for Mr Carr

to teach the other boys the Chinese Dance's explosive moves.

Right, where's the first team? Where are you?

One, two, and three, four. Over, down, over, down.

Run, two, three, four, five, six, seven, stop.

All right, OK. Not bad, actually. You'll get that.

Yeah, it's a killer.

It's hard, as well, trying something that was created on someone else

for the first time, trying to put it onto your body.

I've still kind of got to adapt slightly. Yeah.

Let's show us. This is the originator.

-MR CARR LAUGHS

-Yes!

-Yeah!

-THEY LAUGH

It's an incredibly hard number.

That's what it's turned into being - really, really difficult.

I hope Sir Peter Wright will be incredibly happy,

else I have failed.

MUSIC: Chinese Dance by Tchaikovsky

Dressing the huge cast of The Nutcracker

requires over 700 handmade costumes -

an essential ingredient to bringing each character to life.

All right, let's go. Come on. In your parts.

With the dances learned,

it's now dressing-up time for the White Lodgers.

We're just preparing our hair to go into the rat hats

because the rat hats are so big, we need to have our hair quite flat.

-It looks pretty!

-Mine looks a bit...

-No.

It really looks like a mouse.

I think these are a bit big on me.

-They make my shoulders look really big.

-Yeah, same.

Yeah, but then when you get moving...

-The harness, though.

-Yeah.

-THEY GIGGLE

-I can be like...

This is so cool! I love this!

-Do you feel like a gingerbread now?

-ALL:

-Yes.

-It's a lot of things to put on.

-SHE SIGHS

The rabbit drummer mask is always an object of fascination.

It's really heavy

and my eyes only go to the fur,

so I can't actually see in the holes.

This year, Jarad and Rin have been chosen as the rabbit drummer.

-Come on!

-You're going to have a massive head on, as well.

For both boys, this will be their last year dancing in The Nutcracker.

-Last year, he decided to break his foot.

-Yeah.

I was running, and I just went like that

and I fractured right here, this bone.

And then they were like,

"Rin, I'm sorry, I don't think you can do Nutcracker"

cos, obviously, I fractured it.

And I was just, like, crying and crying.

Yeah, it's not fun.

For both of them, this is a vital opportunity

to test out the rabbit mask before going on stage.

It's not a pleasant smell. It's quite hot.

Otherwise, it's quite fun cos you can, like,

pull silly faces and nobody will know.

It's quite exciting because you can't really see straight through,

so you have to actually look a bit down.

And I just need to make sure

the head doesn't really fall off when I'm jumping.

-Thank you very much. Now, have you got your label?

-Yes.

It's not just dressing-up time for the kids.

Every fairy needs a tutu,

and today, Francesca is having hers tailor-made.

It's her final step to becoming the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Yeah, it just needs steaming down a little bit.

It's really, really brand-new.

Every tutu is specific to the role,

and until they get to do that role,

they don't know how the tutu feels, the costume feels.

And it's very important because it will affect their dance,

so it has to be really custom-made

for them to perform the role at their best.

It's about as tight as I think it can go for now, guys.

You need to understand...

They're engineering rather than sewing.

Yes, yes. It's a bit of a specific skill.

But they're beautiful, and they look like big flowers.

You know, there's this explosion of flowers when they're finished,

and they're actually quite cheerful.

It's one of the prettiest costumes to work on.

The material will give, as well, once I sweat in it.

It'll probably behave differently, which is a good thing.

So, I need to sweat in it quite soon.

-# Good morning

-Good morning

# We've talked the whole night through

-# Good morning

-Good morning to you... #

With less than a week to go,

it's time for the entire company to come together

for the dress rehearsals.

# When the band began to play the stars were shining bright

# Now the milkman's on his way It's too late to say good night... #

-If there's any changes, it will be in red.

-OK.

And so if you check that at the half each time, that would be great.

Thank you. It could quite easily just change.

This is the moment the children, the snowflakes

and the Sugar Plum Fairy will get to dance their parts on stage

for the first time.

Oh, it's getting ready for Christmas!

Oh, that is just perfect.

For many White Lodgers, a first visit to the Opera House

means being within touching distance of their favourite stars.

-WHISPERS:

-Darcey Bussell!

-GIRLS GIGGLE

-Darcey Bussell.

-She just came in.

This is the dream,

especially for the year sevens that have just come in.

I mean, they've only been here, what, I suppose 10, 11 weeks.

And to suddenly be here at the Opera House

with the Royal Ballet company and it's Nutcracker -

this is beyond excitement.

You're going to have to be very, very alert.

Listen. That's the most important thing.

You listen to two people in general, apart from our staff,

and that's this lady here, and she's called Jo.

She's the most important person on the stage. She's the stage manager.

So, whatever she says goes.

-How are you feeling? First time on?

-Excited.

-Excited?

Yeah, good. That's great.

First to rehearse onstage is the battle scene.

I'm quite excited to play Rabbit Drummer today,

and it's really exciting because I get to be on stage

with the company, with the sets, the battle scene,

gun explosions, and especially the hat.

So it's quite nerve-racking, but I'll try to do my best.

So, I just need to watch out for Mr Carr's voice a lot

so I can take in his correction and do the best.

He's quite scary.

Up! Up!

And one!

Anything could happen.

This is the first time they'll have seen the trap door,

the first time they'll have seen the rat king coming up through it.

Does it close? Doesn't it close?

Does the wheelchair come out of the right wing?

How the tree might go up, it might not go up.

It's very exciting. It's sort of lethally wonderful!

And the kids come off and they're taking the masks off going,

"It's so cool, Miss Keelan!

"The rat king's tail got caught and we had to..."

You know, anyway...

I can't wait for it.

Yeah, yeah. We need adjustment with this boy's hat.

It's horrendous.

He carried on whatever, but he couldn't see a thing.

It's right down here.

Well done. Grab your food, B team, and go to the stairs, OK?

The kids rehearsed, and only ten minutes left on the clock,

it's time for the snowflakes to take to the stage.

But there's a problem.

Where are you? First chorus.

There was a student stuck in the lift.

-OK, right. Is she here now?

-I don't know.

No, they were still stuck in the lift about ten minutes ago.

All the angels are stuck in a lift, and two of them are snowflakes.

So, when we get to the second run,

which we're about to do with the last ten minutes of rehearsal,

we can't actually put them in cos they're in a lift.

It's not their fault,

but it's a shame they've missed their rehearsal.

Use your heads!

By the time the angels are released from the lift,

they have missed their only chance

to get on stage before opening night.

Basically, we went up to the sixth floor

and, like, basically, we were stuck in the lift

for, like, an hour and 15, and we missed the rehearsal.

Nadia, too, has missed her last chance to rehearse

before the paying audiences arrive.

I won't get a chance on stage.

But now I've got to go on on Tuesday, probably,

in costume, in wigs, everything,

and I'm not going to know where I'm going to be.

But I'm going to try and just get a feel of it

just by looking now and just see...

I think these marks are the same as the studio,

so I think I'm just going to look at these marks here

cos I think the lights are quite confusing.

It's so important to know where you're going,

especially when you're at the front. For one of the bits,

I'm right at the front and all the girls are behind me

and have to line up with me,

so I have to make sure that I'm in the right place.

Can we get the angel on the tree quicker?

Is that glitter already?

The following day,

it's Francesca and Alexander's turn to rehearse on stage.

That is a lot of glitter.

For the Sugar Plum Fairy and her prince,

this will be the first time they dance in front of the company

with a full orchestra.

-OVER PA:

-'Calling, please, Mr Rose. We're calling Mr Rose.'

-Halfway through my skull!

-MAN LAUGHS

You just have to embrace the glitter.

Tristan, I think, in the boy's dance,

you're doing the wrong head.

-Beautiful! Nice.

-Can I just try it a tiny...?

Like, the tiniest bit further back just to see? Just to get it...

Are the Arabians around?

I am nervous. There's always a bit of interest

when there's a new couple doing a role for the first time.

-OVER PA:

-'This is your call to sweep the snow.'

You know, we'll find out a lot from this run.

Five, hold six, and...seven,

and we're down by eight, boys. You've got to put them down.

-It's not going anywhere?

-No, it won't go anywhere.

I'm just going to tie this plait down so you can't feel it, OK?

Cos this is a disaster, going across the front on the assemble.

I won't be this stressed before the show. I just...

I stress when I feel rushed, and I hate rehearsals for this reason.

-Julia, were you not lit?

-No.

-Did you turn it on?

-I didn't...

Darling, there's a button. You just press it, yes?

'Today is the last chance.

'It's the last chance to see what's wrong with it,'

to correct it, to make it perfect because I only do perfect.

That is all I do, is perfect.

She'll find it much more tiring than she did in the studio,

and Alex, as well. They both will. It's killer.

In a studio, you're working in front of a mirror.

Here, it's just like a big, massive opening in front of you,

so, very different. It's like going on blind.

I mean, you know, it's like driving a car for the first time -

horrendous.

So, they need to use the time to actually get the feeling of it.

MUSIC: Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky

The Sugar Plum solo is very, very long, actually, for the girl.

It takes a lot out of you.

I mean, it is enjoyable,

but it really is like one massive marathon from start to finish.

At the moment, cos, you know, I'm still building my stamina,

I'm seeing stars and I feel like I'm swimming underwater.

It's like an effort just to get on pointe at this moment.

-APPLAUSE

-Yes.

-Nailed it.

So hard!

-SHE PANTS

-Oh, my God. My leg.

My right leg went numb during the end.

Yeah, I just, like, couldn't actually feel that it was there.

-I wasn't expecting it to be perfect.

-No.

And it definitely wasn't perfect for me.

-No. Well, the things that look easy, they're actually difficult.

-Yeah.

They were very smooth, and I think that's what's nice when...

That's when it looks its best. That's why we rehearse, though.

-Yes.

-That's why we practise, you know,

so that even when you can't feel your leg...

That's a scary thought!

But, you know, one thing, as you stand,

it triggers everything, so it should all fall into place.

-Do you want an undo?

-Yes, please.

We've got a week before they do their first performance,

and I want them to carry that feeling with them -

the sound of the orchestra, not just the piano.

And I think that will help us get the stamina

for it not to be so, so difficult, so, so hard.

It's debut day in Covent Garden.

In just a few hours,

the Opera House will be filled with 2,500 people.

What a fabulous place. It's amazing.

There's magic around.

For the Sugar Plum Fairy and her prince,

the morning begins with a company class

and one last rehearsal.

'You know, this is her debut as a Sugar Plum, as a principle.

-'I'm looking after her, so...'

-HE LAUGHS

'..you don't want to do anything wrong.

'It's just a lot of pressure.

'You just have to trust your preparation at this point.

'The last rehearsal, you sort of want to be

'feeling positive about it,'

and I think that happened today, so I think we're in a decent spot.

Looking forward to it.

Very nice, how you looked at her, or when you walked around.

I think we're at a good point now,

and the only way we're going to get any better

is actually by being on stage.

If I just go out there and

literally take it one step at a time and just enjoy it

and try and be the Sugar Plum Fairy, then I'll be happy.

As long as I don't fall over. Touch wood.

-You've worked so hard to get there. Now you've just got to get on.

-Yeah.

These talented people don't come every day through the door.

It's a bit special.

-I'm really very proud of you.

-Thank you.

That's a really special thing - to have your first Sugar Plum

telling you that she's really proud of you.

For Francesca's grandparents,

it's the day they've been waiting for since she was a little girl.

Say, "Good luck, Francesca."

Francesca will be looking out for this cardigan

because I wore it the very first time

she was on the Royal Opera House stage in Sleeping Beauty.

And that, she said, gave her a lot of comfort

when she saw this particular jumper in the front row.

So, that, I shall be wearing for act two.

So, you know, there it is, going in my bag now.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Already! That's it.

I'll probably be in tears, but I don't want her to see that.

It's such an emotional moment, and the music's so emotional, too.

If I weren't in tears, it would be rather sad, really.

-Will you be crying, as well?

-No. No.

-DIANE LAUGHS

We started this such a long time ago,

and finally, we're on the stage,

which is the journey that it's all about.

We've fitted everything, we've got the costumes all right,

the masks all fit, nothing's falling off.

Even the trap door works, so it's very exciting.

There's so many hats!

I'm Jarad. I'm doing Rabbit Drummer today and Party Child.

But I'm in Party Child at the moment

cos I've got a quick change into Rabbit Drummer backstage,

and it's a bit of a kerfuffle and everything's going on.

It's quite hard to keep all the counts in my head

cos there's so much going on in the battle scene. It's crazy.

You've got rats coming on with cannons, loud gunshots,

music which is all over the place.

I'm sad for this season cos it's my last performance

in year nine as a child in The Nutcracker.

I just hope it goes well and nothing goes wrong.

Student snowflake Nadia will also be making her debut in today's show.

This will be her first time ever

dancing in the corps de ballet of a professional company.

I'm more excited, actually, than nervous.

I just love the rush when you go on stage. Yeah.

This is my first show, so I hope I remember it!

My mum's watching, as well. She managed to get a last-minute ticket.

There was, like, eight tickets left or something,

and she managed to get one.

-OVER PA:

-'Act one beginners to the stage, please.

'Act one beginners to the stage. Thank you.'

'Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,

'and welcome to this performance of The Nutcracker.'

'All staff and engineers,

'this is your call for the transformation, please.

'Staff and engineers, this is your call for the transformation.

'Thank you.'

The Nutcracker is a story of a magician's nephew

who has been turned into a nutcracker doll,

and who can only be freed after defeating the mouse king

with the help of a young girl.

In one of the ballet's most dramatic scenes,

the magician transforms a family Christmas living room

into a giant battlefield.

MUSIC: Battle Of The Mouse King by Tchaikovsky

SHE WHISPERS INAUDIBLY

The scene is now set for the children of White Lodge,

and an epic battle between the toy soldiers

and the wicked mice led by the mouse king.

It's time for the rabbit drummer to leap into action.

MUSIC CONTINUES

-GUNSHOT

-Ooh! Every time!

As the soldiers and mice battle it out on stage,

Nadia joins her fellow snowflakes warming up in the wings.

This is the dream.

This is, you know, one of the most amazing stages in the world,

and it's such an honour to be on it.

And also, a lot of the time in rehearsal,

if I don't know where to go,

I would always know the girl that I had to follow,

and, "This bit, well, I have to follow Izzy on that bit."

Whereas now, everyone looks identical.

We're all wearing blonde wigs. Everyone's wearing the same costume.

MUSIC CONTINUES

That performance of rabbit drummer was great.

Yeah, it was a great run that time. It's my last Nutcracker.

It's a bit disappointing, but at least I get a Christmas

next year, in a way, so it's not all bad.

The night might be over for Jarad,

but for Nadia, her transformation into

a snowflake is about to begin.

MUSIC: The Waltz Of The Snowflakes by Tchaikovsky

Stand by, tabs. And stand by to Scott.

APPLAUSE

That was unbelievable.

My first time with a professional company on that incredible stage.

I can't really explain now because I'm speechless.

It was so magical, especially when the snow started falling.

I was just, "How lucky am I?"

It feels like everything I've kind of put my whole life towards,

my whole childhood... You know, I've been sacrificing everything.

It feels like this is kind of the kick-off now.

Hopefully, my professional life will start next year, so...

-OVER PA:

-'Ladies and gentlemen, this is your five-minute call

'for act two. Five-minute call for act two.'

The interval is nearly over,

and for Francesca, it's the moment of truth.

Having spent the past six weeks

transforming herself into the Sugar Plum Fairy,

she is about to realise her childhood dream.

When I look back to watching ballet videos for the first time

when I was so small,

and these iconic ballet roles like Sugar Plum Fairy,

it feels like that's what I was meant to do, I think.

It feels really right to be here.

I just need to stay really calm

and not dwell on the fact that there's 2,000 people watching

and any other thoughts. That's not going to help anyone.

Hi! Sorry.

-There she is.

-I'm here. Haven't forgotten.

Yeah, we've just had the final call for act two beginners,

so just getting ready.

Frankie's just arrived, so I'm excited,

but a little nervous, obviously.

I just really want it to go well for Frankie.

MUSIC: The Magic Castle On The Mountain Of Sweets by Tchaikovsky

It's act two, and we're in the Kingdom of the Sweets -

the realm of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

But as quickly as their night begins,

Francesca and Alexander leave the stage

to make way for a series of exotic dances.

They now have a 20-minute wait

before they're back on for the climax of the ballet.

One of the hardest things about Sugar Plum is that wait

between the introduction and the grand pas.

It feels like an eternity.

You're trying to stay warm, you're trying not to use too much energy,

trying to keep your emotions in check.

That's the biggest challenge, I think.

One of the interludes is the new Chinese Dance

with Marcelino and Luca.

MUSIC: Chinese Dance by Tchaikovsky

APPLAUSE

When you go out on stage for the Sugar Plum,

you know how many great people have danced it before you,

and so those first six or eight steps are very daunting.

There's a change in the atmosphere and you can feel it.

You can feel that something's about to happen and everyone knows it.

And as soon as the music starts, you have to channel the fear.

MUSIC: Pas De Deux Intrada by Tchaikovsky

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

With the pas de deux over,

it's now time for one of the most iconic solos in ballet -

the Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy.

MUSIC: Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

And now for the Prince's solo,

before the Sugar Plum Fairy is back on for the dazzling finale.

MUSIC: Coda by Tchaikovsky

APPLAUSE

Happy. Very happy.

-It was worth it.

-SHE LAUGHS

APPLAUSE CONTINUES

-You did it. Well done.

-Thank you very much.

-Oh, God.

-Thank you.

-Good. Really good.

-Good.

Congratulations. Really good. Really good.

-Thank you for being my partner.

-He looked after you, didn't he?

-Thank you!

-It was yummy.

-You were an angel.

-Thank you very much.

Absolutely beautiful. Thank you.

Thank you so much for everything. I really mean it.

APPLAUSE

CHEERING

-SHE LAUGHS

-Oh, congratulations.

-Thank you very much.

-Oh, you did beautifully.

Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you.

When I see good dancing like that, it's uplifting.

The music and the way they danced - bliss.

Are girls leading off, by the way? Girls lead off, yeah?

Couples. Couples, shall we?

-DIANA HAYWARD:

-Well, I was in tears for most of it, so...

I mean, it's just so amazing to think that

she was trying to dance that at two years old,

and now it's actually happened.

-22 years later, she's actually doing it.

-Yeah, so...

APPLAUSE

And who told you fairy stories don't come true?