The Nutcracker ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Choreographed by Peter Wright after Lev Ivanov. Directed 2016 by Peter Wright at the Royal Opera House.

Stars Gary Avis (Drosselmeyer); Francesca Hayward (Clara, Drosselmeyer's god-daughter); Alexander Campbell (Hans-Peter/The Nutcracker, Drosselmeyer's nephew), and:

Act 1. Luca Acri (Drosselmeyer's Assistant); Caroline Jennings and Susan Nye (Maiden Aunts); Barbara Rhodes (Housekeeper); Christopher Saunders (Dr. Stahlbaum, Clara's father); Elizabeth McGorian (Mrs. Stahlbaum); Caspar Lench (Fritz, Clara's brother); Benjamin Elia (Clara's Partner); Kristen McNally (Grandmother); Alastair Marriott (Grandfather); Christina Arestis (Dancing Mistress); Johannes Stepanek (Captain); Fernando Montaño (Harlequin); Leticia Stock (Columbine); Marcelino Sambé (Soldier); Mayara Magri (Vivandière); Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød (St. Nicholas); Nicol Edmonds (Mouse King)

Act 2. Lauren Cuthbertson (Sugar Plum Fairy); Federico Bonelli (The Prince); members of the London Oratory Junior Choir (Singers); Christina Arestis, Johannes Stepanek, Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani, Fernando Montaño, Tierney Heap and Eric Underwood (Spanish Dance); Itziar Mendizabal, Ryoichi Hirano, Reece Clarke, and Nicol Edmonds (Arabian Dance); Luca Acri, Marcelino Sambé (Chinese Dance); Kevin Emerton and Paul Kay (Russian Dance); Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Emma Maguire, Mayara Magri, and Leticia Stock (Dance of the Mirlitons); Yuhui Choe (Rose Fairy); Matthew Ball, James Hay, Tomas Mock, Valentino Zuccheti (Rose Fairy Escorts); Claire Calvert, Helen Crawford, Hikaru Kobayashi, and Beatriz Stix-Brunell (Leading Flowers).

In addition, artists of The Royal Ballet and students of the Royal Ballet School portray Snowflakes, Relatives, Friends of Stahlbaum family, Soldiers, Mice, Servants, Children and other roles.

Boris Gruzin conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Peter Manning) and the London Oratory Junior Choir (Choir Director Charles Cole). Designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman; lighting by Mark Henderson; production consultant was Rolan John Wiley; staging by Christopher Carr; ballet mistress was Samantha Raine; ballet master was Jonathan Howells; assistant ballet mistress was Sian Murphy; principal coaching by Christopher Carr, Jonahtan Cope, Viviana Durante, and Jonathan Howells; Benesh notators were Mayumi Hotta and Lorraine Gregory. Directed for screen by Ross McGibbon. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: B

Pas de Deux ballet compilation with performances by many of the famous Royal Ballet stars from recent years. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Anastasia ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky and Bohuslav Martinů. Choreography by Kenneth MacMillan as realized by Deborah MacMillan. Staged 2016 at the Royal Ballet. Stars Christopher Saunders (Tsar Nicholas II); Christina Arestis (Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna); Rory Toms (Tsarevitch Alexey); Olivia Cowley (Grand Duchess Olga); Beatriz Stix-Brunell (Grand Duchess Tatiana); Yasmine Naghdi (Grand Dutchess Marie); Natalia Osipova (Grand Duchess Anastasia); Thiago Soares (Rasputin); Kristen McNally (Anna Vyrubova/Matron/Peasant woman); Alastair Marriott (Tsar's Aide-de-Camp); Ryoichi Hirano, Valeri Hristov, Alexander Campbell, and Edward Watson (Four Officers). Also features:

• Act 1. Luca Acri, Tristan Dyer, and and Marcelino Sambé (Three Officers); Mica Bradbury (Maid).

• Act 2. Marianela Nuñez (Mathilde Kschessinska); Federico Bonelli (Kschessinska’s Partner); Vincenzo Di Primo (Revolutionary).

• Act 3. Natalia Osipova (Anna Anderson); Edward Watson (Anna Anderson's husband); Tristan Dyer (Anna Anderson's Brother-in-Law).

• Artists of the Royal Ballet as Officers, Guests, Soldiers, Revolutionaries, Nurses, Peasants, Visitors, Relatives.

Simon Hewett conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Sergey Levitin). Electronic music provided by the studio of The Technical University of West Berlin (Fritz Winckel and Rüdiger Rüfer); designs by Bob Crowley; lighting design by John B. Read; staging by Gary Harris. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+

Giselle ballet. Libretto by Théophile Gautier after Heinrich Heine.  Music by Adolphe Adam revised by Joseph Horovitz. Choreography by Marius Petipa after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. 2016 production and additional choreography by Sir Peter Wright at the Royal Opera House. Stars Marianela Nuñez (Giselle), Vadim Muntagirov (Count Albrecht), Bennet Gartside (Hilarion), Johannes Stepanek (Wilfred), Elisabeth McGorian (Berthe), Gary Avis (Duke of Courland), Christina Arestis (Bathilde), Jonathan Howells (Leader of the Hunt), Itziar Mendizabal (Myrtha), Olivia Cowley (Moyna), Beatriz Stix-Brunell (Zulme) as well as Yuhui Choe, Alexander Campbell, Francesca Hayward, Luca Acri, Yasmine Naghdi, and Marceline Sambé (Pas de Six). Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Peter Manning). Designs by John Macfarlane; original lighting by Jennifer Tipton re-created by David Finn; staging by Christopher Carr; directed for screen by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

Two Ballet Favourites by Christopher Wheeldon--- a two disc set released in 2017. Below are links to both shows, which have already been reported on this website:

1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Talbot. 2011. (Grade: A+)
2. Cinderella. Prokofiev. 2013. (Grade: A)

Ballet du Capitole Box Set released 2017. Below are the discs for three ballets choreographed by Kadar Belarbi at the Theatre du Capitole in Toulouse. Each of them has already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:

1. Le Corsaire. Adam. 2014. (Grade: C+)
2. La Bête et la Belle. Daquin, Haydn, Ligeti, and Maurice Ravel. 2015. (Grade: B)
3. La reine morte. Tchaikovsky. 2016. (Grade A-)

Proof that even a small ballet company can compete with the big boys. Tasteful productions give you a refreshing break from the warhorses, and you can see Kadar's work progress over recent years. I bought all these at full price and enjoyed them, so the box price for this is a good value. Three cheers for Belarbi and his troop!

Ballet for Children Box Set released 2017. Below are the discs. Each of them has already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:

1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Wheeldon. 2011. (Grade: A+)
2. The Nutcracker. Tchaikovsky. 2010. (Grade: B) [Grade adjusted to A- for this box]
3. Peter and the Wolf. Prokofiev. 2011. (Grade B) [Grade adjusted to A+ for this box]
4. Tales of Beatrix Potter. Ashton. 2010. (Grade: A)

This is one of the best box sets that Opus Arte has offered. For adult viewers, this Nutcracker faces huge competition, but it's probably as good as any for the kids. I marked down the Peter and the Wolf as a warning to adults that it's a short student recital. But it passes the kid test with an A++. So this is a box set with no loser and a big winner for the consumer with children in mind.

Frankenstein ballet. New libretto and choreography by Liam Scarlett. Original music by Lowell Liebermann. Filmed in 2016 at the Royal Ballet. Stars Federico Bonelli (Victor Frankenstein), Laura Morera (Elizabeth Lavenza), Steven McRae (The Creature), Alexander Campbell (Henry Clerval), Elizabeth McGorian (Madame Moritz), Meaghan Grace Hinkis (Justine Moritz), Bennet Gartside (Victor's Father), Christina Arestis (Victor's Mother), Thomas Whitehead (The Professor), Guillem Cabrera Espinach (William Frankenstein), Sacha Barber (Young Victor), Skya Powney (Young Elizabeth), and Lauren Molyneux (Young Justine). Koen Kessels conducts the Orchestra of The Royal Opera House (Sergey Levitin co-concert master). Set and costume design by John Macfarlane; lighting design by David Finn; projection design by Finn Ross; ballet mistress Samantha Raine; assistant ballet master Ricardo Cervera; principal coaching by Lesley Collier and Recardo Cervara; Benesh notator Gregory Mislin. Directed for TV by Ross McGibbon. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-