Actually, Debra Craine does mention "The Nutcracker":

NOT the Nutcracker
Our critics prove there's more to Christmas than panto, Messiahs and that ballet
Dance
By Debra Craine

YOU can’t blame ballet companies for mounting The Nutcracker at Christmas — the box-office returns are just too great — but if you’ve had your fill of Sugar Plums and toy soldiers, there are plenty of other dance attractions this yuletide. Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, for one. His staging at Sadler’s Wells (0870 7377737, to Jan 16) is sensational. He sets Tchaikovsky’s ballet at the heart of our own Royal Family, blending cheeky humour — corgis on wheels and plenty of Prince of Wales jokes — with a powerful emotional truth. The combination is unbeatable.

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