Creative Director and Stage Director for a unique reimagining of The Nutcracker, performed live by pianist Alexandra Dariescu and ballerina Désirée Ballantyne.

All the other characters from The Nutcracker were hand-drawn and animated, then projected onto a gauze screen at the front of the stage, allowing the live performers to interact seamlessly with the animated world throughout the performance.

To create the animation, dancers were first filmed performing against green screen. Their movement and physical performances then became the foundation for the hand-drawn animated characters, bringing the worlds of live performance, film and animation together on stage.

The show premiered at the Barbican and has since been performed more than 100 times across 30 countries around the world. It was nominated for an Opus Klassik Award.

Performed by – Alexandra Dariescu
Art director and Animation Director – Adam Smith
Choreographer – Jenna Lee