Dragons, beetles, butterflies - to bring all these characters to life, not only costumes but also masks and head pieces are important. Today we take a quick look into the milliner’s department for a glimpse of these wonderful, tiny works of art.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

Today you will see a short glimpse into the rehearsals of the butterflies. So that the dancers get used to their wings it is important to include them directly in the process of creating the choreography.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

In order to get a feel for the set, it is important to consider the proportions of the stage. The rehearsal stage of the new John Cranko School is ideal for this as it is the same size as the opera house stage.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

Today we visit a rehearsal of the Harlequins. Choreographer Edward Clug uses ladders for this part of the choreography, on which the dancers hang, climb and dance.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

The role of Clara has several casts, and each of the dancers needs a costume tailored to her size. Here you can see two of our Claras, Principal Dancers Agnes Su and Anna Osadcenko trying on their Clara dresses.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

Today brings a glimpse into the rehearsals for the deer and the stag. The front hooves of the deer and stag are represented by crutches, which will, of course, be “in costume” on stage.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

The 5-headed Mouse King is the bad guy of our story. Today we take a look at a costume fitting with designer Jürgen Rose and see how five dancers become one mouse king.


Photos: Roman Novitzky

Today we take a peek into the rehearsals for the fairies of the forest including the queen of the forest. The fairies of the forest "replace" the snowflakes in Clug's Nutcracker - because they will dance to the famous Snowflake Waltz.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

As anyone who has seen our Nutcracker posters in the city knows: the walnut is a central theme of our new production. Therefore, the stage design includes huge, oversized nuts. Here you can see some detail shots and the creation process of the nuts.

Photos: Roman Novitzky