THE Russian State Ballet and Opera House, and its orchestra of 30 musicians, present Tchaikovsky's enduring Christmas favourite, The Nutcracker, at York Barbican on Monday at 7.30pm.

Producer Alexej Ignatow says:“We feel that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy ballet in their lifetime, which is why we are dedicated to bringing full and positive new productions to regional theatres.

We want to give the opportunity to these audiences to experience these classics, give them great pleasure and inspire them to want more.There is a misconception that you need to understand music or ballet to enjoy them but it is really for everyone. All these incredible performances are self-explanatory and you could be assured of falling in love with ballet.”

Highlighting what marks out the work of the Russian State Ballet, Alexei says: “We stand out because we pay attention to detail and put a lot of effort into choosing the best artists.

I know that there are many companies that come together just to tour in UK, but we only focus on working with established theatres in the Russian Federation. With Russian ballet, you get passion."

Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker And The Mouse King, The Nutcracker tells the story of Marie, a rather sad little girl, whose godfather Drosselmeyer gives her a Nutcracker doll as a present on Christmas Eve, which turns into a prince, whereupon the magic begins.

Tickets are available on 0844 854 2757 or at yorkbarbican.co.uk