The World of Dance with Francis Mason December 30, 2001 Francis Mason, 96.3 WQXR Balanchine's Nutcracker, our ballet glory this time of year at the New York State Theatre, has cast its spell far and wide. All who saw the first night of Balanchine's version of this great Russian classic will always remember how the Christmas tree began to grow and the moving bed that transported the little girl the Kingdom of Snowflakes. Balanchine's Nutcracker was so popular that it became a kind of ritual. There is something in it for everyone in the family. The is also money in it for every ballet company. Robert Weiss, a Balanchine dancer who is now Artistic Director of the Carolina Ballet, has created an extraordinary new version of The Nutcracker that uses even more children and casts its own spell. For his lovely ballerina Melissa Podcassy and gifted soloists Weiss has made dances that magnify anew the power of a dream a little girl has under the Christmas tree... If you can't get into Balanchine's Nutcracker, run down to Raleigh, North Carolina for this brand new version... And that's the story on The World of Dance. This is Francis Mason.