The Russian State Ballet's Nutcracker is as much a credit to the traditions of Russian classical ballet as its Cinderella shames it.

Artistic director Vyatcheslav Gordeev, beginning the tales before the overture ends, shows Drosselmayer preparing his mechanical dolls for the entertainment to come and the guests arriving for the Christmas party given by the Stahlbaums.

The story continues on traditional lines, except for added detail, which draws into an integrated plot what has always tended to be a series of set pieces.

Here, Drosselmayer is very much the focal point: as Uncle, MC, puppet master and magician, he is making it all happen.

In what is often a mimed role, Sergei Pupyrev is given plenty of dancing, and he makes the most of it.

My only complaint is that Konstantin Teliatnikov's excellent Nutcracker doll is neither by the action nor by the Prince's costume more clearly shown to become the Nutcracker prince.

In the latter role, Adrian Fadeev is everything one could wish: a danseur noble with fine elevation and a sympathetic partner to his Maria, who, unlike in Western productions, in which she is usually called Clara, herself dances the role of the Sugarplum Fairy.

Anjelika Tagirova is the perfect Maria: petite, entirely plausible as the favourite niece and a lovely dancer with beautiful arms.

Good and amusing national dances and a fine rendering of Tchaikovsky's score by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, under the baton of Alexander Sotnikov, completed the evening's delight.