K073 DVD Ballet The Nutcracker Miyako Yoshida Birmingham Royal Ballet Condition: Used, but like new. Japanese booklet included. Recorded at: Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre, UK Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes Cast: Miyako Yoshida, Irek Mukhamedov, Sandra Madgwick Featuring: Birmingham Royal Ballet Screen: 4:3 screen. Considering it's from 30 years ago, the picture quality is quite good. This product is for the Japanese market. ★ My thoughts on this work: I have been watching ballet for 55 years. This is Miss Yoshida's performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, where she first joined in the UK. ★ Personally, I love this work. ① 1994, Birmingham Royal Ballet, UK ・ This is her first performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy. She later transferred to the Royal Ballet in the UK and became very successful, but her performances in The Nutcracker with the Royal Ballet are ② and ③. ② 2001, Royal Ballet, UK Sugar Plum Fairy: Miyako Yoshida Prince: Jonathan Cope ③ 2009, Royal Ballet, UK Sugar Plum Fairy: Miyako Yoshida Prince: Steven McRae She has performed in The Nutcracker in this way. Especially in this work with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, I think the most noteworthy aspect is the brilliance of Sandra Madgwick as Clara, not only Miss Yoshida. She appears in the main parts from beginning to end, fully embodying Clara. Her dancing, expressions, and acting are all wonderful, and I have never seen a Clara like this. Also, the stage direction, choreography, art, costumes, and music are all so wonderful that I haven't encountered a Nutcracker like this in 55 years. Of course, Miss Yoshida and Mukhamedov are also wonderful. For these reasons, I think it's a landmark work of The Nutcracker. ★★★ Quoted from web reviews: ① The pas de deux of Miyako Yoshida and Mukhamedov as the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince is, as expected, the highlight. Their gestures are very impressive. Both of them dance freely and happily, which makes me feel the same way. Perhaps because of the setting where Clara dreams of becoming a ballerina and dances, and the subdued colors of the costumes and sets, I think they are a very human and warm Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince. I have also seen the video of Yoshida dancing with Jonathan Cope after she moved to the Royal Ballet, but she seems to be dancing more vibrantly in this Birmingham Royal performance.