Pictures: Out and about at Cork Opera House for The Nutcracker

Cork City Ballet's production of The Nutcracker opened at Cork Opera House on Thursday

Fri, 04 Nov, 2022 - 11:10

Maeve Lee

Cork City Ballet returned to the Cork Opera House stage on Thursday night with a dazzling performance of The Nutcracker. Performances continue until Saturday.

Anna Lynch and Áine Monaghan at the Cork City Ballet production of The Nutcracker

Directed by Alan Foley with choreography by Yury Demakov, the production featured Katerina Petrova, prima ballerina with the National Ballet Sofia in Bulgaria as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Tsetso Ivanov as her Prince.

Treasa Stapleton, Jessie Castle, Jerry Castle, and Valerie Beamish at the Cork City Ballet production of The Nutcracker that was held in the Cork Opera House. Pictures: David Creedon

As well as dancers from the National Ballet Sofia, the production of The Nutcracker at Cork Opera House featured a cast of 50, including 22 children.

Clara Uhl and Jessica Higgins at the first of the four performances

The Nutcracker will run at the Cork Opera house until Saturday, November 5.

Annamarie and Kellyanne Long from Fairhill

The night marked Cork City Ballet's first production since 2019’s Swan Lake.

Catherine Foley, Colette McNamee and Janet Dillon pictured at Cork Opera House

For the festive production, the audience was brought on a journey through the Land of Snow to the magical Kingdom of the Sweets.

Noreen and Isabel Walsh from Glanmire at the first night of The Nutcracker

Barbara Shearer, Claire Curran and Jackie Curran at the Cork City Ballet production on Thursday night

The production saw impressive costumes, together with the glorious music of Tchaikovsky.

Dancers from the corps de ballet of the Cork City Ballet perform The Nutcracker

The seasonal classic featured principals, soloists, and a full corps de ballet.

Rosemary Stipe and Mary Sadlier from Navan pictured at the Cork City Ballet production of The Nutcracker

Ahead of the first performance, director Alan Foley said: “I always use the word magical when it comes to Nutcracker because that’s exactly what it is."

Aileen Cullinane and Anna Myers enjoying The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker will run at Cork Opera House on November 3, 4 and 5, for four performances only — including a matinee at 2.30pm on Saturday November 5.