Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker

Toy soldiers, sugar plum fairies, and a nutcracker coming to life, all make for a timeless Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker. I remember my first time seeing the Nutcracker ballet….I was with my mom. I knew when I had a little girl of my own, this was one tradition I’d like to keep. She’s only 2, but I’ve found a child-friendly way to introduce her to the magic of ballet in Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker.

What is it?

Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker is a 40 minute DVD featuring the world famous San Francisco Ballet performing excerpts from “Nutcracker”. But that’s not all…..it features:

Cartoon Character Prima Princessa, who narrates the performance for little ones so they understand what’s going on in the story (since there are no words in a ballet)

School of American Ballet, students who dance and demonstrate real ballet steps to the viewer at the end of each Act of The Nutcracker

Vocabulary - children viewing learn the names of various ballet steps

Children - Dressed up in tutus, the children are seen dancing and watching “The Nutcracker” performance together

Special Features - in addition to the main performance, you can also access more demos of ballet steps and a holiday party too.

An enchanted afternoon:

I picked this afternoon for our special mommy & me time. We were going to watch Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker. We gathered up all our favorite dolls and animals along with a blanket or two, and began the DVD. She sat still the entire time with her eyes so focused on the ballerinas. Oh, how I wish I knew what she was thinking! I was really surprised she wasn’t talking more throughout the DVD, as she usually asks questions. But, she just sat and stared…….yes, she was enchanted with ballet, just like her mommy.

THEN……..at the end, she asked me to get up and dance all over the living room floor. She did the toddler version of an arabesque and glissade (she was paying attention – sort of). She was soooo excited. I only wish I’d had the video camera in the room.

It’s been years since I’ve seen The Nutcracker and it still takes my breath away. This performance, albeit in short excerpts, was magnificent…….the music…….the snow falling. The 30-40 minutes of the DVD is perfect for a young child as are the activities (small ballet lessons),  incorporated into the breaks. This DVD wouldn’t be a substitute at all for ballet lessons, but it’s an easy way to see if a child is even interested.  Girls and aspiring ballerinas will adore Prima Princessa, as she’s an extra girlie character , with ballet slippers, tutu, AND fairy wings.

We’ll be watching Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker again and again throughout this holiday season and beyond! And, one day, I’ll take my daughter to see the ballet in person.

ACTIVITY: Visit to find Prima Princessa Coloring Pages……you’ll have a fun activity to do after watching the show.

Don’t forget……there’s also Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake.

Debra traded in high-powered suits and high-heeled shoes for a new role as mommy–crayon enthusiast, storyteller, and kisser of boo-boo’s. You’ll find her helping families at A Frugal Friend, where she teaches others how to reduce their expenses through coupons, rebates, freebies and deals.