We’re curious… How would you rank these? Which variation is your personal favorite? Leave a comment and let us know 🤭

my problem with some variations like esmeralda, talisman, etc is that you rarely see the full length productions you only see the standalone variations in competitions so the dancers don’t know the context and don’t understand the charachter

I think the Sugar Plum variation itself is classic, but the music is definitely waaaay overplayed. Whenever Nutcracker season starts playing in my everyday life, I'm always like "Can I play the chicken dance over and over in every store, video, commercial etc please? I need non dancers to know the agony of listening to Sugar Plum over and over again"

And I'd definitely love part 2, particularly for full ballets because I'm looking to get to know new ones

In your Raymonda piano variation, the score was written for a cimbalom, a Hungarian folk instrument. It makes a world of difference. Cimbalom players are not that many and, of course, they add to production costs, so they use a piano. There are some pianists that can imitate the cimbalom very well, but they are also few.

I love your fake commercials! The way the music lines up with the cuts is just perfect.

When you're watching ballet competions and see dancer dancing: - Kitri - Esmeralda - Black Swan - Cupid - Sleeping Beauty Are they beautifull? Yes. Am I tired to see them on competiosions? Yes.

For Black Swan, the alternate version would be in the Exquisite tier for me, it makes so much more sense in the context of the narrative & the pas de deux it’s one of my faves!

Would love a round 2 with even more variations like… Nikiya's death!! Giselle act 2! Manon party variation! Tchai pas! Tatiana variation! I think most of these aren’t done at competitions (except occasionally an ambitious young dancer trying Nikiya who can’t act it… this might also be the problem with black swan variation) Also how about ranking pas de deux? And showing us your favorite interpretations of the exquisite variations? Thank you for your entertaining and informative videos!

I personally love the Raymonda variantion. But definitely as a standalone piece.

I love Kitri’s fan variation, but on a waaaaaaay faster tempo

It'd be cool to see you guys in a separate video rank these and PDDs in order of difficulty

As much as I look forward to seeing and hearing you two charming ladies talk about ballet every Saturday, I do miss you dancing. After all that is what one expexts ballerinas to do. At least once in a while.

Lmaooooo that car ad xD Also I totally agree about Kitri act 3. It just doesn't feel like Kitri. Where is the explosive energy, the temperament?? As for the Raymonda variation (the piano one), I love it so so much! It's so different from your usual variation. But I agree that it works better as a standalone piece.

Every time I think of Kitri, I think of Miko Fogarty performing it at YAGP.

as an ex dance student who had to quit because of joint issues, I've found a lot of comfort and familiarity in these videos. Thank you for your amazing work!

I'd like to hear you two talk about male variations, please. And also, more ads set to Nutcracker pieces because that totally cracked me up. I loved the whole video, but the car and and the burger ad were brilliant in their non-ballet way :D

For some youtube algorithm reason, I JUST discovered you channel now, and I've watching you videos non-stp for a day ! We want an extended version of this one pleeeease, with Nikita's Death... sending love !😍🥰

The only ballet knowledge I have is you two, and I just want to say that Eden's exquisite vocal performances and your wonderful it's-English-but-it's-also-ballet-code discussions where you read each other's minds are making me love a form of dance I had never really been interested in before. How did I not know how fascinating ballet was?! More, please! Always more!

i personally have a soft spot for third shade, as an adage dancer, it was my favourite variation to perform. i never really thought about how anti-climatic the pas couru at the end was hahah, but i loved doing it :) i wonder if you guys could include the other shade and odalisque variations in part 2??

I love the other Black Swan variation that is rarely done these days. I prefer the music that goes with it as well ( almost a little sinister).

Myrtha has to be on the list. It was my dream come true when I got to dance it. Another part that I’d dance any day (just for the music 🎶 so fun!) is the second dancer in Paquita’s pas de trois!

Let me tell you the way I was OBSESSED with Waltz of the Snowflakes..... Obsessed!! The music and the dance. I always wanted to dance it but never got a chance to do so 😩

Kitri with a fan, Esmeralda with a tambourine, doesn’t get any better than that

i can definitely rank these 🌼 • exquisite: raymonda (slow one), giselle, diana, walpurgis nacht, satanella, pas d'exclave, 3rd shade • i'd perform: paquita (slow one), coppelia act 1, harlequinade, white swan, paquita (fast) • classic: grand pas classique, gamaztti, queen of dryads, blue bird, lilac fairy, esmerelda • ish: kitri act 1, flames of paris, 3rd odalisque, raymonda (other one), talisman • overplayed: medora, black swan, aurora (act 3) • please no: kitri (act 3), sugar plum, raymonda (one with piano) but my favorites (that were not included) will always be hebe, la slyphide, la fille mal gardee (the one that starts with the jetes and attitudes), and mrytha

i’d love to see a pas de deux version 🤭

You’d make fun commercials-I would not skip them😁

Heyy, it'd be fun if you guys also ranked ballets! Love your videoss

As a male balletomane, we would vote for a Part Two ranking the male variations, addressing how your selection criteria might change when judging male dancing. For example, the Raymonda variation with the clapping of hands that you two so dislike is absolutely EXQUISITE when danced by a man (perhaps because the sharp/forceful sound of the hand slap registers more convincingly when it originates from a male protagonist). Another 'exquisite' variation to consider might be the Spectre de la Rose -- we still recall the jaw-dropping elevation and fingernail-to-toenail stretch that Herman Cornejo achieved (many years ago now) when he lept out the stage window at the end of that ballet! And of course, your list might include multiple EXQUISITE star turns from that glorification of male dancing: 'Mayerling'! (Would such a proposed male variation review also be a chance to include on your panel of judges a male dancer who may have first-hand experience/knowledge of the male roles under consideration?) Your viewer in Bloomsbury

J&E : put Raymonda in the "Pls no" tier Me : is that a personnal attack or something ? I don't agree with all the rankings but it was interesting and fun to watch ! (As always) Will you make a part 2 video ? There are so many variations out there, one could basically dedicate a whole channel to tier lists ! I'd love to ear your thoughts on other variations, like Myrtha's, Nikiya's, Henriette, the alternative chroeo for Black swan, etc. Thanks ! PS: Délibes is the dream ! I recommend his lesser known ballets, like the second half of La Source and its ending

In part 2 please look at Sylvia. It’s such fun

I just love all those variations when done well, but your comments made them exquisite!

you guys will comment on male dances too? recently i discovered Manuel Legris dancing 'The Specter De Le Rose' here on youtube and was quite amazed by it, very magical.

I learned about so many variations I didn't know about before

I know that the solos in Emeralds, by Jewels, are not variations, but I really wish they were in part 2, and others like Laurencia, Aurora act 1 and 2, Cinderella, Juliet and the variations of swan lake pas de trois.

Watching you two geek out over classical music is so endearing.

There's got to be enough to do a part two... I've been really enjoying the Awakening of Flora at PDL. I do wish there was a tier for ones that are overplayed, but exquisite when done properly, like La Esmeralda (IMO).

Love your videos! This was a really fun one, I hope you do a similar one with pas de deux and corps. I agree with you about Waltz of the Snowflakes but not about White Swan, probably since the first one I ever saw was Svetlana Zakharova (her Dying Swan is exquisite too). That said, you're the dancers and I love your insights!

I wanna see you guys dance!!!

my appreciation of sugarplum depends so heavily on the choreography? I feel like so many of them are decidedly... unmusical?

loved this❤ definitely do more parts!

Oh, and that one in the finale of Raymonda. It's the piano imitating a Hungarian percussion sort of instrument, which is why it fits in with the other music.

Hello, ladies! I found your channel a few weeks ago and am loving it so much! I'm an adult ballet beginner who started online classes 1.5 years ago with no dance background. Your videos, ballet breakdowns, and beautiful spirits have been so wonderful to dive into as I continue to learn all the facets of ballet. Keep the videos coming!

Ah-h-h-h TwoSet Violin format ... now TwoSet Ballet. LOVE IT! ♥

a hamburger commercial with snow in the background is something i never knew i needed to see 100/10 would eat that burger 🔥

Harlequinade and talisman is sooooo overplayed in the area where I live😂

It never dawned on me that ballet people got sick of variations. Once I think about it, it makes sense. Why wouldn't you?

Rank male variations!

I LOVE your videos!! They’re so much fun. Have you ever considered ranking various friends dances from different ballets (IE Romeo and Juliet, sleeping beauty, Coppelia, ect.)?

20:05 Yes Funner is the correct comparative form of Fun (it's just that it sounds odd and people say more fun) but more and most are used as comparative and superlative forms of adjectives that have more than 3 syllables. Adjectives with less than 3 syllables use "er" and "est" for their comparative and superlative forms respectively. Two things: English is not my native tongue and I love your channel and content, I finally understand ballet (I'm a theatre kid). I'm saying hi from the Dominican Republic (yup, you got a fan over here) 💛💛💛

Didn't expect Waltz of the snowflakes to be underrated I even thought it's more popular than Waltz of the Flowers. Lots of my favorites are actually not listed here: Pharaoh's daughter, Aurora dream variation Laurencia and the Bolshoi's old version of Black Swan. I agree that both Kitri act 1 and Giselle are exquisite but they're borderline overplayed as well. I'd put Blue Bird in the overplayed tier it's like La Esmeralda with the tambourine to me. To be fair both of them including Kitri act 3 are classics when done (extremely) well and with a quick tempo.

I feel the same way with grand pas classique! Great video!

Okay here's my ranking! Exquisite: Grand pas classique, Raymonda (piano), 3rd shade I'd perform it: Diana & Acteon, Kitri (A1), 3rd odalisque, White swan, black swan, Sugarplum fairy Classic: Giselle, Flames of Paris, Harlequinade, Talisman, pas d'esclave, Walpurgis nacht, Gamzatti Ish: Raymonda (slow), Medora, Bluebird, Queen of dryads, Pas d'esclave, Paquita (fast), Lilac Fairy Overplayed: La esmeralda, Kitri 3, Cupid, Aurora Act3, Paquita slow Please no: Coppelia act1, Satanella

I actually really enjoy watching the Sugar Plum Fairy variation. That said, I'm not a dancer haha and I do agree that the song is overplayed

My favorite in Nutcracker is Waltz of the Flowers! 🌸

Today I learnt a word: showstoppper. Thanks ladies ^^

Right after their “car commercial” I got a real car commercial 😅😅😅

Would love to see you rank Dulcinea, Canary Fairy, 1&2nd shades, Raymonda Act One Pizzicato, Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux and the Golden Vine Fairy!

Thank you for this great summary of variations! Love listening you girls talk - you both have a way with words, and have depth and maturity beyond your age!! Keep up the good work!!! :D

Giselle (all of the ballet, but the second act is a dream of music and dance).

I love the Raymonda variation with the fouettés. Mostly because I associate it with my best friend who left then performed it at yagp this year

Big agreement on the Shade variation, and I don't know why anyone chooses it for competition. The music at the beginning sounds like a clock running down. The rest sounds like circus music. I generally agree with your choices, although I like both Raymonda variations; since that's Novikova in the orchestral one, I wish you'd shown her entrechat quatres on pointe, a definite upgrade fro changement. Only criticism of the vid itself is I would have liked to see all variations full screened. It would have been nice to see all of every variation, but then this vid would have stretched to several hours! Another fun vid, and you've made my husband into a fan, at least of you two if not of ballet!

BALLET MUSIC FOR COMMERCIAL

When I went to Disney I was very pleasantly surprised that they played snow and mirlitons and yet no children march

I wanted to do gamzatti until i remembered i can't turn or jump. I love it though, the music is everything.

I personally love the Black Swan variation due to the arms as wings part

Ballet Reign Dears, 🌧️🦌🌧️🦌 I loved your video! Standing ovation!! 👏👏👏👏👏 I learned quite a bit, including the word "ish", and that you have thoughtful analyses of when the music or the choreography does not suit a particular character in that particular variation or in that ballet. Impressive! I was concerned that I might have to take issue with your claim that everybody's uncle's cousin's goldfish has done the variation Kitri Act 3, because, in fact, my neighbour's Great-Uncle Theowald's cousin Wrathilda-Anne's goldfish Nemo is a boy goldfish who refuses to dance with a fan. He loves dancing with the sword, though, which led to that unfortunate situation involving the plastic diver in his tank. 🤿 All has been taped up and forgiven, though, and Nemo is starring as Romeo in the fish tanks' upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet! Tickets go on sale tomorrow. (Use code NEMO25 for 25% discount.) I loved your car and burger commercials! I must have that car! As for the burgers, the person preparing it was wearing black gloves, so I'm pretty sure that had to be Darth Vader. Who else would wear black gloves while preparing food? I never thought about it before, but how does he eat? I assume you know him because otherwise, he would not have acted in your video. A Darth Vader pas de deux would be Forceful, and would also get millions of Star Wars fans to watch your channel! Lifts are child's play to him, of course, because he can just use the Force to make his partner effortlessly airborne for as long as is artistically appropriate. Please choreograph such a pas de deux using the music Imperial March by John Williams. Thank you in advance! Your editing was top-drawer! The way you inserted the much-appreciated video clips of the variations, as well as the graphics for your extremely accurate discussion of the overplaying of the Sugar Plum Fairy music were masterful. Since my childhood, I had thought that this music was the jingle of a company called Bathrooms Beautiful because that's the music they used in their commercials. I think I was 35 before I realized the music actually comes from "The Nutcracker." I'm a slow learner. Therefore, as you thoughtfully suggested, I would like to request part two of this video, and your rankings of male variations, of pas de deuxses, of entire ballets, really of anything you feel like. Pretty much, if you upload it to this channel, I will watch it, like it, and share it! Now I will look up some of these variations with which I am unfamiliar as you were so kind as to bring them to your viewers' attention. Thank you for being so entertaining and I'm already looking forward to your next video, Reign Deers! 😁🙏🌸🏆🍿🌧️🦌🌧️🦌

Yesss I want to see male variations or full ballets!!!!💗love you guys and ur channel

I think my only big disagreement would be the Raymonda piano one, because is a rarer piece to see and when is danced by a strong and charismatic dancer is just so gorgeous (Osipova ftw always), very mature!

My favorite edits! Especially the car commercial!

how can you underrate the 3rd shade last diagonale, it's literally griddy en pointe *shocked*

Maybe the Gamzatti Temple variation for a part two? 😊

Part 2 please including The Fairy Doll and La Fille. I’d love to see male variations and pas de deux as well. Perhaps full length ballets 🤔

My favorites to watch are Diana & Acteon, the Coppelia, and the Giselle. There's also a female solo in La Source I really like. It comes out of the harem-betrothal sort of section. I also like the Flames of Paris one.

IMO I love La Esmerelda, The Black Swan, and Kitri (act 1) but I completely agree with everything else! It would be so cool if you would do a step by step of Coppelia (OMG I love that ballet)

Act 2, Giselle is high on my list of tear jerker pas de deux.

It’s giving biscuit ballerina 😭😂

@10:30 😂 I would watch a goldfish perform kitri act 3

I've enjoyed watching the Grand Pas Classique on KZfaq (never had the chance to see it performed live) because it seems to mostly be performed by French and Russian dancers and it shows up the difference in the two styles very clearly. It's also interesting to watch because it isn't part of a story ballet so the dancer has to make it interesting to watch purely on its own terms with no character input or story arc to help.

Would love to see a video on ranking/recommending lesser known variations too (Pharaoh’s Daughter, Carmen, Awakening of Flora, etc.) 😊❤

Please make a part 2!!!

Loved that 🤍🤍🦋🩰 give us part 2 🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️

I actually love Raymonda (piano+orchestra variation)! Something about the slow movements carry this imponent feeling of power from the character, it may not be showy but it feels powerful, at least from a viewer's perspective, and the music is *chef's kiss *. As a musician, to be able to perform repeated notes in a way that's interesting and entracing, and not staggering/boring, it can be incredibly difficult, so when I hear a pianist nail that aspect of the music, the variation comes to absolute l i f e for me.

I really like the other version of black swan. Somehow this version just don’t have enough character in it

You missed The Awakening of Flora, which is a lovely variation but... is way too overplayed. About 50+% of the female variations in YGP are the awakening of Flora & I swear about 98% of them wear the same white tutu with red flowers. Harlequinade is becoming overplayed at YGP, too, even though there are some amazingly talented young dancers who've done a fantastic job with it.

Yay! Would you ever consider doing male variations? I know that as ladies, you both probably know more about the ins and outs of these variations, but male variations are so fun, too!

i'm actually addicted to Raymonda's third act variation (piano one) for me its just so maturing and queenly, i would recommend Olga Smirnova dancing in the Bolshoi version/one other variation i would recommend is the Manon variation from act 2 (salon scene), so perfumy

That was really nice! I got introduced to a bunch of variations 😊 just wish you’d show them a little longer.

Haha Raymonda is one of my absolute favourite variations probably because it’s kind of weird and I’m kind of weird 🤣

(Not a dancer) Aren't there multiple versions of Sugar Plum though? I watch the video of Nina Kaptsova doing Sugar Plum over and over, and it still floors me every time. Music overplayed, totally agree, but whatever version she did, it's probably my favorite variation so far.

I think the Kitri act 3 needs to be done the Russian way (at least the way Mariinsky and Bolshoi do it) and with a speedy tempo... It gives a softer, yet still sprightly energy to the character

I can only watch Grand Pas Classique if it's done by professionals. I hate watching it done by students at YAGP/Prix du Lausanne because it is the hardest female variation that has basically everything needed in a variation and anything can go wrong.

I’d love to see a part 2 with the awakening of flora variation and dulcinea’s don q act 2 variation

Great! I would just love it if you guys could introduce the variations a little bit more please, so we have some context like what ballet they’re from. For some I was very lost where these were from.

Do a male variations oneeee!!!!

Love your videos, what exactly is a “variation “ in ballet terms ? Is it simply a solo piece within the ballet ?

Can you rank some different pa de deux? I am curious to know how you feel about them. Love your channel

This was great! Part 2 should definitely consider Nikiya’s death, Swanilda act 3, Laurencia, and Esmeralda’s entrance.

Got love

not a ballerina, just a fan of YAGP but the ones in my exquisite tier are: Paquita V Talisman La Bayadere third shade Cuban cupid (Paquita) Swanhilda coppelia Swan lake pas de trois act 1 la fil mal gardée Lise's variation Graduation ball in my pls no tier: Raymonda (the most common YAGP variation anyway) Satanella sleeping beauty Blue fairy & lilac fairy (really not a fan of any of the sleeping beauty fairy variations) Harlequinade Cupid don quixote