Sumptuous sets and cracking costumes completed a truly stunning production of Nutcracker! at Birmingham’s Hippodrome Theatre last night.

Dance students from the City of Wolverhampton College are stepping in to the spotlight for their annual showcase.

It’s one of the most dazzling and imaginative productions ever staged – Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker has survived for 20 years and will visit Birmingham’s Hippodrome from Tuesday, February 7,  until Saturday, February 11, 2012 as part of an anniversary tour.

With the boards still vibrating from the Strictly dance gang at the NIA at the weekend, the programme’s badboy Brendan Cole blew into town hot on their heels cocking a snook at the show’s bosses.

After a triumphant year when Strictly trounced X Factor in the TV ratings, the live tour stopping off at Birmingham NIA last night had the feel of a victory parade.

Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole will hit the dancefloor in Birmingham with his dynamic show, Live and Unjudged on January 23. Here the Strictly bad boy shares his perfect weekend . . .

It may have left our screens for another year, but the region is bracing itself for another dose of Strictly fever.

They’ve been professional partners for more than 14 years and appeared in all nine series of Strictly Come Dancing. Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag are Briatin’s best known ballroom couple.

The West Midlands will welcome a bumper programme of dance events in coming months, with the Birmingham Hippodrome leading the way.

Strictly Come Dancing winner Harry Judd will join six other celebrity contestants when the show’s live tour hits Birmingham’s NIA next month.

Aakash Odedra, an upcoming star of British South Asian Dance, will be helping DanceXchange (dx) celebrate 10 years at Birmingham Hippodrome with the world premiere of his latest work tonight (Friday).

Breakin’ Convention, the critically acclaimed international festival of hip hop dance theatre, returns to Birmingham Hippodrome next year . . . and you can be one of its stars!