A video 'love letter' to one of the nation's favourite ballets The Nutcracker has been made for the Royal Opera House by a team right here in Falmouth.
As a gesture of festive gratitude to the Royal Ballet’s donors – whose support throughout the pandemic has enabled its survival – the Royal Opera House engaged with up and coming Falmouth production company Art School Media to produce a short film celebrating what should have been the return of ‘The Nutcracker’ to the Covent Garden stage.
Sadly the subsequent Tier 4 restrictions in London led to the cancellation of this performance until Christmas 2021.
However, releasing the film on Christmas Eve, the Royal Ballet said: "After all the exhausting challenges that this year has brought, particularly for the arts world, we are absolutely overjoyed to share this recent cinematic collaboration with Royal Opera House.
"A kaleidoscopic love letter to Sir Peter Wright’s 'The Nutcracker' and a profoundly heartfelt token of gratitude made for all the Royal Ballet’s loving supporters and donors.
"At our core we believe art, beauty and community will always prevail."
Mitch Kendall-Smith, who graduated from Falmouth University with a double First Class Honours degree, had earlier travelled to Covent Garden to film at the Royal Opera House.
He recorded a two-minute performance choreographed by first Royal Opera House artist ballerina Nathalie Harrison and directed by her husband Tom Birkett, featuring three of the youngest members of the Corps.
This was then transformed by Art School Media's visual effects team with kaleidoscopic special effects and snowflakes of diamonds and feathers, into a magical video set to Tchaikovsky's 'Waltz of The Snowflakes’.
Art School Media said: "Our magical film produced with the Royal Opera House forms a glittering escape into a world of snowflake filled wonder. A sparkling departure from the bleak reality that has been 2020.
"It depicts the ethereal beauty of winter. Alongside exquisite music and dance, the footage captures an abundance of childlike joy that rests at the heart of Sir Peter Wright's 'Nutcracker'. The very essence of Christmas."
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