Camilo Ramos finishes with Queensland Ballet on a high

There was added emotion at Queensland Ballet’s annual production of The Nutcracker with husband and wife team Camilo Ramos and Yanela Pinera dancing on stage together for the last time.

Nobody would have been too grumpy about Camilo Ramos and Yanela Pinera stealing the show on opening night of Queensland Ballet’s latest season of The Nutcracker.

Because this was one of several special nights for them and this season marks Ramos’s last as a principal dancer with the company.

He retires after The Nutcracker to teach at the Queensland Ballet Academy leaving his missus to soldier on.

But for several performances of The Nutcracker they are together on stage as the Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Principal dancers Yanela Pinera and Camilo Ramos are having their swan song together in The Nutcracker. Picture: Josh Woning

These are iconic roles in an iconic ballet which is all the more wonderful for the music of Tchaikovsky, played by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nigel Gaynor. Queensland Ballet does this Ben Stevenson production of The Nutcracker every year now.

Boring? Right? Well actually no. Not at all. I mean who would ever get sick of this ballet?

For a start it’s mercifully short, just two hours including interval and that gets a big tick in my book.

But it is just such an enchanting story, a magical tale for children and adults with some lovely dancing and plenty of colour and movement.

It’s very theatrical too which I like.

And it has moments that allow the dancers to strut their stuff and there are some wonderful performances in this production and opening night night standouts included Neneka Yoshida as the Snow Queen and Victor Estevez as the Snow Prince.

Clara, the little girl who dreams the whole ballet under a kind of spell cast by Dr Drosselmeyer (Alexander Idaszak) is played by Lou Spichtig with appropriate theatricality.

There’s so much fun to be had and I must mention how terrific Vito Bernasconi was as the Russian Dancer.

Vito Bernasconi soars in Queensland Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Picture: David Kelly

Extraordinary Cossack moves from him and he was also terrific as King Rat leading all the other rats in their ratty star turn which everyone loves.

And then came Ramos and Pinera, solo stars and then, together, dancing with such joy and vitality.

I could see Ramos smiling and enjoying the moment.

It was a special one for these two Cubans who came to Australia to further their careers and became stars in the process and, eventually, man and wife, after getting married on the beach at the Sunshine Coast recently.

When they finish their final performance it will be a very emotional moment and there may be some tears and I could see that those in the audience on opening night who knew what was going on were quite moved.

And while it’s sad that we won’t see Ramos on the stage any more it’s wonderful that he will be teaching and inspiring the young dancers of tomorrow.

The Nutcracker is on in the Lyric Theatre at QPAC until December 23. Tickets via queenslandballet.com.au