Has anyone else noticed the steep increase in ballet programmes dominating mainstream television? Stepping up from the usual camera-switched-on broadcast from the Royal Opera house, the BBC and Channel 4 seem to have gone mad for ballet this Christmas - with an exciting line-up of ballet treats to get you salivating at the mouth. Here's what I'm looking forward to watching this year while chomping mince pies:

• The Spirit of Diaghilev, 7.45pm, Friday 18 December, BBC Four
  

BBC Four recently brought us Margot - a film about the turbulent love life of Margot Fonteyn as well as english National Ballet performing in For Art's Sake: The story of the Ballet Russes (six days left to watch on iPlayer and next on Saturday at 01.30). Now comes an exciting new series of programmes celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Ballet Russes, featuring a range of new work, performances and choreographer interviews - starting with this week's celebration of the celebrated choreographer Diaghilev. Another reason to stay in from the cold on a Friday - or watch on iPlayer if you find it clashes with the office Christmas party.

This year, I'm afraid to say, Strictly hasn't been as gripping as the last. Previous years have seen contestants fighting to stay in the game, now with Natalie and Leila out of the competition, we've only got little Chris and his delightful dance partner Ola who are really in it to win it.

There's no doubt Ricky and Ali both have natural dancing talent - but neither of them have improved anywhere near as much as Chris Hollens, the BBC Breakfast sports presenter.

As a dance critic, I love watching Strictly with a sharp eye - seeing how the contestants grow and improve, and enjoying the professional dancers for technique and stunning ability.

If you're still wondering whether or not it's OK to start feeling festive, think no more: Christmas officially starts with the opening night of Birmingham Royal Ballet's The Nutcracker.

Attending the yearly rendition is a tradition every family should fit into their advent calender - dressing in your winter best for a nippy trip to the bustling Hippodrome to be greeted by Birmingham school choirs singing carols cannot fail to fill you with warmth and excitement.

Friday night's performance was another example of how Birmingham's much-loved ballet company consistently deliver a production which can both delight ballet newcomers and keep young families gripped, while adding new twists and stage antics to please the ballet veterans.

The choreography based on Sir Peter Wright's production with the company nearly 20 years ago just after it had moved from Sadler's Wells, is light-footed and peppered with enchanting duets - the crisp movements and large corps de ballet pieces are visual treats which the company dance with effortless precision and ease.

This week Birmingham was put on the international dance map.

Tuesday marked the launch of International Dance Festival Birmingham 2010 - the dates are confirmed, artists and venues booked, and guests and the event were treated to a taster of some of the acts scheduled to perform.

To sum up just how impressive the programme is and the prospects this festival brings to Birmingham, one guest said: "You'd usually have to travel to Europe to find this sort of thing, and now it's on our doorstep."

They couldn't sing, made a hash of a performance and their starry-eyed ivory faces showed just how brainwashed they too were about their own 'talent.' But even if you contest all of the above, don't even try and argue they could dance.

Celine Gittens and Tom Rogers in Birmingham Royal Ballet's E=mc2. Photo: Bill Cooper

This morning on the Today programme, Radio 4, The Times' Dance critic Debra Craine lamented the lack of 'edgy' ballets being created in Britain today.

She said:

"Ballet companies have become more conservative as the audiences have become more conservative...The ballet world It's now all Swan Lake and if you are a touring company, particularly in Britain you've got to produce full length productions, the title of which is recognisable on a marketing poster."

The comment came out of a discussion about Sergey Diaghilev - celebrating the way the choreographer could bring together Picasso, Stravinsky, and Matisse for a production, making ballet a fashionable art form.

Last week Birmingham's dance scene was rocked by a tremer of new works across the city - from blow-out productions to small scale companies and some promising new talent - it was a week to prove Birmingham is still creating fresh new work in all forms to rival the capital.

It's that time of year again, or does it seem to be getting earlier? Getting off to a spine-tingling start, BBC's Strictly Come Dancing dominates our screens once again, filling living rooms nationwide with sequin-reflected light and Tess Daly's warm northern notes.

If you missed last week's drama: here's the sixty second round-up:

This year's series, the seventh since is birth in 2004, has taken a few blows in the first week - most notably the reshuffle of judges causing a tirade of criticism for the replacement of Strictly stalwart Arlene Phillips, with dancer newbie Alesha Dixon.