This perfect Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy is in season all year round
Nina Kaptsova was one of the Bolshoi Ballet’s most talented prima ballerinas. At the age of 41, she appears to still be affiliated with the Russian ballet troupe, but it’s unclear what her role is.
Over the course of her career, she danced in nearly every major ballet of the 19th and 20th centuries, from The Sleeping Beauty to Giselle to Swan Lake.
View this post on Instagram
Even those who don’t know much about ballet likely know of The Nutcracker, a ballet that Kaptsova danced so delightfully in 2010 that just one video of her solo as the Sugar Plum Fairy has been viewed over 24 million times on YouTube!
While you might think this dance looks the same in every production, much of the detail depends on both the dancer and choreographer. Therefore, reviewers give their opinions on each production – and, as you might imagine, Kaptsova’s are glowing.
The solo takes place while the main character, a little girl named Clara, falls asleep after a Christmas party and is enchanted by a magical nutcracker.
This part of her dream takes place in the Kingdom of Sweets (because what else would a little girl dream of on Christmas Eve?) and the Sugar Plum Fairy welcomes her as hostess.
It’s a solo performance reserved for only the very best dancers.
You’ll no doubt recognize the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as the soundtrack to this particular piece.
What’s unique about Kaptsova’s performance is how light and whimsical it is – like she’s floating on a breeze.
Fellow dancers line the sides of the stage to act as the audience for their fairy princess’s welcoming solo so she can be the center of attention.
It’s a joyful performance, rather than a formal welcome – and that’s not always the case for this particular solo.
Kaptsova often offers sweeping arm motions to the audience as if to welcome them in as well.
It’s as if we are Clara too in that moment, being beckoned into the Kingdom of Sweets.
While there are no stunts that make the dance seem wildly complex, the fact that it looks almost “easy” (a relative term, to be sure) is a testament to the talent of the dancer.
Viewers were in awe of her elegance and grace:
“Nina Kaptsova is a supernatural being! Every year I come back here to be awed by this performance. She is unforgettable. A remarkable and incomparable talent!” said one commenter.
There’s no doubt that some of those 24million+ views are from repeat viewers, but that’s still an awful lot of people taking in some ballet. That’s part of the beauty of the platform – allowing people to see performances that they might otherwise never get to experience in person.
Take this comment, for example:
“As someone who never did ballet and who is only aware that this exists thanks to the early barbie movies, can I just say how utterly astounded I am. Truly beautiful!”
We’re glad the Barbie movies aren’t the only reference out there for good ballet!
Kaptsova’s performances can be found all over YouTube with a simple search. Not only do we recommend watching some of her other masterpieces but comparing those to the performances of other prima ballerinas as well – only then can you get a sense of what different dancers bring to the table.
View this post on Instagram
Be sure to scroll down below to watch her gorgeous performance in the Bolshoi’s 2010 production of The Nutcracker.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Source: Palmtree Media via YouTube, @nina.kaptsova via Instagram, Bolshoi Ballet