THIS was a very mixed performance of The Nutcracker at York Barbican. We were treated to first-class music from the orchestra and some lovely individual performances, but overall the impression left was distinctly disappointing.

The days of ruthlessly culling dancers from a company based solely on height and build are over, but performances like this left one feeling that the traditionalists just might have had a point. The Russian State Ballet's disparity in heights meant every part of the performance other than solos teetered on the edge of farce.

It made it impossible for what should have been a beautifully synchronised dance of the snowflakes to reach the consistent timing and stage positioning necessary, while also leaving the male chorus and the three Eastern temple dancers out of time, with one dancer repeatedly appearing where and when they shouldn't.

This was a shame as some of the truly talented ballerinas deserved so much better. Stand-out performances came from The Sugar Plum Fairy, Nutcracker and Pierette, but Marie constantly missed position in her final duet with Nutcracker, often leaving him empty handed.

The staging, meanwhile, veered from a banal family room setting to a magnificent canvas backdrop painted as a chandeliered ballroom. Just as we started to enjoy the dance of the snowflakes, someone switched on a snow machine so loud that it could be heard over the orchestra, leaving this reviewer desperately fighting a fit of laughter.