CBeebies Presents: Little Red Riding Hood - A CBeebies Ballet

It is Christmas Eve, and the Stahlbaum family is happily unwrapping their Christmas gifts. After all the merriment, seven-year-old Marie receives a very special gift--a mysterious Nutcracker--from her beloved Godfather Drosselmeier. When the house falls dark and silent, Marie discovers that this is no ordinary Nutcracker, but Godfather Drosselmeier's nephew, who was transformed into a wooden toy by the curse of the evil Madame Mouserink. To break the curse, the Nutcracker must win the love of Marie and defeat the malicious, seven-headed Mouse King.

Elise, a princess, lives happily together with her eleven brothers. When her father, the king, marries again, he banishes Elisa. Hereafter his new wife turns Elise's eleven brothers into swans. But fortunately Elise finds her brothers, who are swans during daylight and human beings at night time. In a dream, the fairy Fatamorgana tells the story of the unhappy princess and how she rescues her brothers, the eleven princes.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the animated classic, this animated and live-action blended special showcases the fan-favorite movie, along with new musical performances, sets and costumes inspired by the classic story.

A creature bearing the ominous name "Mishap" is hot in pursuit of an unfortunate lumberjack and eventually decides to live with him. It soon gets bored, however, and asks the lumberjack to hand it over to the rich merchant Habermoos. Habermoos manages to sell Mishap to the king, although he is being attacked by robbers. The king is bankrupt and threatened with war by other countries. Young Michael has to go to war for the king. The creature tries to secretly join him. When Michael gets hold of the situation, he manages to get rid of Mishap once and for all. After all, he has more important things to do. At the last moment, he prevents his girlfriend Kathrin from getting married to the pompous merchant Habermoos.

George Balanchine's jewel-themed triptych, strikingly choreographed to the music of Faure, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky. This three act masterpiece is renowned as the world's first full-length abstract ballet. The Russian-born co-founder of the New York City Ballet, Balanchine was inspired by the artistry of jewellery designer Claude Arpels to create a trio of distinct movements revealing the essence of each precious stone. Each part also evokes three different cities: Paris, New York and St. Petersburg. 'Emeralds' was conceived as a tribute to the French romantic school, with music by Gabriel Faure. The fiery and energetic 'Rubies' taps into the rich tradition of Broadway musicals, with music by Stravinsky. 'Diamonds' honours the grandeur of Imperial Russia and the Maryinsky Theater, choreographed to the music of Tchaikovsky. With its jewel-like costumes, this is a celebration of the influences on the choreographer who was described as the father of American ballet.

Olympic gold medalist Peggy Fleming and six-time U.S. national champion Todd Eldredge star in this performance of the Tchaikovsky Christmas classic.

"Lady of the Camellias" (Kameliendame) was premiered in Jan 1978 at the Stuttgart ballet. Choreographer and text writer was John Neumeier who had been requested in 1972 by ballerina Marcia Haydee to write a full length ballet. He suggested "Lady of the Camellias" , the Dumas fils autobiographical novel. The idea of using Chopin music was suggested by ballet conductor Gehart Markson. The ballet was a success and this version was also presented in 1979 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Neumeier revised it for the Hamburg Ballet now directed by Brazilian ballerina Marcia Haydee after the death of famous director John Kranko. The revised version with sets and costumes by Jugen Rose and conducted by Heribert Beissel was recorded as a movie in 1987.

A performance film following the young ballerinas of Na Ponta dos Pés, an art school founded by Tuany Nascimento in Rio de Janeiro.

When the hare stumbles over the sleeping hedgehog one Sunday morning, an argument ensues. The insulting word "crooked leg" is uttered. In his distress, the hedgehog develops the idea of a joint race. The hedgehog and his wife prove to the imaginary hare that the wiser laughs last.

When his father dies, poor Fella is left at the mercy of his snobbish stepmother and her two no-good sons Maximilian and Rupert. As he slaves away for his nasty step-family, Maximilian and Rupert attempt to find a treasure Fella's father has supposedly hidden on the estate. Hoping to restore her dwindling fortunes, the stepmother plans a fancy ball in honor of the visiting Princess Charmein whom she hopes will marry Rupert. Eventually, Fella's Fairy Godfather shows up to convince him that he has a shot at winning the Princess himself.

Once upon a time, there lived a royally sour blueberry, a fair rhubarb maiden and a dastardly deceptive mirror! Sweetpea Beauty knows that what's on the inside is what matters most, but insecure Queen Blueberry can't see past her own reflection! So, when a decree is handed down that only the most beautiful can rule the land, the Queen gets nervous and things turn ugly! Banished to the dark forest, Sweetpea's fate seems bleak until a charming prince, a band of merry minstrels and seven snow peas come to the rescue! Will Sweetpea and her friends be able to warn the Queen in time to save her from the clutches of the tricky mirror - or will the crumbling kingdom and the Queen's own heart be lost forever? Find out in this fairy "Veggie" tale about the real meaning of true beauty.

In a woods filled with magic and fairy tale characters, a baker and his wife set out to end the curse put on them by their neighbor, a spiteful witch.

A Christmas classic revisited in dance form at the Finnish National Opera: Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It's the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a grumpy, miserly old man who, on Christmas Eve, is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. A magical tale popular with all ages, adapted into a ballet by an all-British artistic team including composer Sally Beamish and choreographer David Bintley.

It is a story in which the young heroine, dying from a broken heart, mysteriously hears the call of ghosts tempting her to join their round dance, and having become one of them she saves the lover who betrayed her.

Set in a magical fairytale land, this story follows the adventures of Oki—a cheerful yet clumsy ten-year-old green dwarf—and Nirmala, a graceful and kind-hearted forest fairy whose magic wand is always ready to help.

Núraddín Ali a Anísaldžalísa

A Romani fairy tale about a young striga who uses magic to win her husband and eventually becomes an ordinary man out of love for him and her children. Once in a while, a little girl is born in a gypsy settlement, and fate gives her the strigoi's abilities. But because everyone is afraid of the strings, the heroine of our fairy tale keeps it a secret - even from the young man she has fallen in love with. When she becomes his wife, his mother discovers her and instigates her son to burn the woman. Only her witchcraft skills will save the beautiful striga's life. She leaves the county and becomes the wife of a wealthy landowner. But her love for the first man does not leave her, and so when they meet after a time, she not only forgives him, but also gives up her strigorous abilities for his sake.

Screen adaptation of Eichendorff's famous novella. A penniless drifter roams the land with his violin and preferably sings his songs to beautiful women. Two of his female admirers get him employed as a gardener at a castle. Yet he doesn't settle down for long, and moves on to his next temporary job as a customs officer. Finally, he travels to Italy where he joins the gang of Rinaldo Rinaldini and eventually meets the love of his life.

Ella lives in a magical world in which each child, at the moment of their birth, is given a virtuous "gift" from a fairy godmother. Ella's so-called gift, however, is obedience. This birthright proves itself to be quite the curse once Ella finds herself in the hands of several unscrupulous characters whom she quite literally cannot disobey. Determined to gain control of her life and decisions, Ella sets off on a journey to find her fairy godmother who she hopes will lift the curse. The path, however, isn't easy -- Ella must outwit a slew of unpleasant obstacles including ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, elves and Prince Charmont's evil uncle, who wants to take over the crown and rule the kingdom.

An enterprising young man who practices medicine, striving to win the affection of his beloved, vows to cure her mother of a serious illness. To truly learn the secrets of medicine, he has to pretend to be deaf and mute and hire himself out as an assistant to the best doctor. Will the hero be able to keep his promise?