Dance of the Snowflakes: A Winter Ballet

Can you hear the music? The snowflakes are dancing!

Dance of the Snowflakes is an original mixed media painting on paper inspired by the magical world of The Nutcracker ballet.

I created this painting in December 2025 while drawing from a live model during the Royal Drawing School's Live Studio online stream.

Working from observation, I allowed the figures to develop into characters from the ballet. Three dancers appear against a turquoise winter sky, their arms lifted and skirts swirling as snowflakes drift around them.

There is something magical about watching dancers move. A fleeting gesture, the sweep of an arm or the movement of a skirt can express so much without a single word.

I spent several years drawing and painting ballet students, and I have always been fascinated by the way the human figure can convey movement, emotion and imagination.

In this painting, expressive black lines capture the energy of the dancers, while washes of turquoise, green, red and pale blue create a lively, wintry atmosphere.

The Dance of the Snowflakes is one of the most enchanting scenes in The Nutcracker, when the stage becomes a swirling winter wonderland.

I wanted to capture something of that fleeting magic, not through careful detail, but through colour, movement and the freedom of drawing.

A whimsical, expressive original painting that would bring a little ballet magic into a child's bedroom, a reading corner or any home where imagination is welcome.

One of five original paintings

Dance of the Snowflakes belongs to a set of five colourful mixed media paintings created during Royal Drawing School Live Studio sessions in December 2025.

Each is a unique original artwork, but together they create a wonderfully playful group full of character, colour and storytelling.

This painting makes a lovely companion to The Gift, with its mysterious crowned character.

It also pairs beautifully with Sugar Plum Fairy, another painting inspired by The Nutcracker, featuring a fairy-tale castle, giant swirling sweets and a colourful hot-air balloon.

Their shared colours, theatrical characters and lively compositions make them particularly appealing displayed together, perhaps in a child's bedroom or family space.

On display for the first time since its making in Basel from mid-November

Artwork details

• Title: Dance of the Snowflakes

• Year: 2025

• Original, one-of-a-kind artwork

• Medium: Mixed media on paper

• Dimensions: approx. 36 × 28 cm

• Created from live model drawing during the Royal Drawing School's Live Studio online stream

• Inspired by The Nutcracker ballet

• Part of a set of five original artworks

• Unframed

Shipping and framing

Your original artwork will be sent carefully wrapped and securely packaged to protect it during transport.

I recommend professional framing, preferably with an acid-free mount, to preserve the artwork and beautifully present it in your home.