Storytelling through dance is an effective way to make dance accessible and exciting to young children. In The Toy Castle collections, members of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet comprise a brightly costumed cast of girl and boy storybook characters including Ballerina, Soldier, China Doll and Rag Doll who live in a toy dollhouse and come to life at night when the children are sleeping. Nutcracker Sweet presents twelve short dance stories that include themes from famous classical ballets like the "Nutcracker Suite," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Petrouchka" and holiday motifs such as "Twelve Days of Christmas," "Waiting for Santa," and "I Believe." As the characters spring to life, they combine dance, narration, music and mime in 12 separate performances that explore subjects like cooperation, self-esteem, attitude, and belief while highlighting specific dance segments from classical ballets. In watching, young viewers gain an appreciation for dance and a sense of the importance of creativity, inclusiveness and artistic license in both dance and play. Bonus features include instruction in basic dance positions and a host of interactive

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Animation, Family