George Balanchine's The Nutcracker | Macaulay Culkin, Darci Kistler

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker | Macaulay Culkin, Darci Kistler | Good for kids

DVDs:

George Balanchine'...

	George Balanchine's The Nutcracker Macaulay Culkin, Darci Kistler Warner Home Video, 1997 average customer review:based on 67 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

nyc ballet does it best

really fabulous dancing. my daughter was a little disappointed by the ending. they just go off in a sled and that is the end. she was looking for the return to the living room and clara waking up. the rest of it was great.

Good for kids

I am an elementary general music teacher and use this version to show to my 2nd graders each year. I have also seen the Baryshnikov version of the Nutcracker several times (live, and the video version), and I think the Balanchine verson is more appealing to kids because there are more closeups of the dancers, the photography is wonderful (the Baryshnikov version is very grainy and has choppy editing, which is distracting to young children who are not used to seeing ballet... I'm trying to get the ones who think ballet is stupid to find it interesting, and grainy film does not help!!!!) and also because the parts of the children in the story are actually danced by children. It makes it more authentic and childlike, which a child's fairy tale story should be! Plus, I know my students would be distracted by Baryshnikov's (and the other male dancers' in his version) very prominent shiny "package"; I am not in any way a prude, but when a ballet is meant to be shown to children, who are easily distracted by details, it would be more appropriate to choose costumes that aren't quite so "crotch-tacular."

Perhaps there might have been more actual dancing by the Nutcracker and Marie, but I teach my kids that the point of the ballet is that the story is told through movement. There is no law saying ballet must always be en pointe in tutus and tights!

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My daughter loves this ballet

Ever since my 2 year old daughter saw this ballet at Christmas, she hasn't stopped talking about it. We bought this DVD and the first thing she says in the morning is "I want to watch the dancing girls." Even though she spends a lot of time in front of the TV screen watching this, we figure it's OK since she's watching a ballet and listening to classical music. I enjoy watching it too, even though Macaulay Culkin can't dance.

Good "family" entertainment

This version of The Nutcracker is a good version if you are looking for a bright, cheery, good quality and overall modern version. Kids will enjoy being able to see caracters up close. (A travesty when watching such amazing dancers). The camera work does get pretty close but overall it's not unbelievably irritating like some movie versions of ballets I have seen. It's tolerable. Think of it as a movie with lots of dancing in it. It is definitly a "made for TV" production.

Micaulay Culkin in his post "Home Alone" popularity is also...tolerable. We know he's not a dancer, it's quite obvious, so you gotta give the poor little guy a break.

Had no issues with film/sound quality or clarity.

A good version to throw on the TV as background during Holiday gatherings.

Still favor the Baryshnikov version but I think it might be a little drab for children.

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