The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker, choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, has become a wonderful holiday classic ballet.  This ballet is composed of two acts and was adapted from the story called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by E.T.A. Hoffmann.  The Nutcracker was first displayed in December of 1892 in St. Petersburg Russia.  Though originally the ballet was not a great success in the 1960s the ballet became very popular and has been performed countless times since then.  In North America The Nutcracker has become especially popular around the Christmas season.

The first act of The Nutcracker begins on Christmas Eve where friends and family are gathered for a party.  During the party a girl Clara is given a nutcracker by her godfather Drosselmeyer (a talented toymaker), but to her dismay Fritz (Clara’s brother) breaks the nutcracker.  During the middle of the night Clara goes down to the parlor and when the clock strikes midnight the nutcracker grows to life size and there is a battle between a gingerbread soldier army and mice.  The nutcracker defeats the Mouse King and is then transformed to a handsome prince and he leads Clara to his kingdom. 

In the second act Clara and the prince travel to the Land of Sweats where the Sugar Plum Fairy has been ruling in the prince’s absence.  The Sugar Plum Fairy celebrates their return by the celebration of sweets from around the world.  The ballet concludes with Clara being ushered into a reindeer drawn sleigh and she leaves the kingdom.

With all of these Christmas like elements it makes sense that it has become a holiday classic.  The Nutcracker is also a wonderful family ballet that will delight and amaze everyone.  The costumes and music and choreography are all magic and enchanting.  The Nutcracker has become a tradition that many ballet companies have been preforming for years.  In fact, some reports show that ballet companies generate about forty percent of their income from performing this ballet. 

The Nutcracker has become a family holiday classic that is performed across the country by countless ballets companies.  Over the years The Nutcracker become a major part of the Christmas season across the country.  With the amazing visuals, costumes and choreography, and the fun light hearted story line full of magic and enchantment, The Nutcracker will thrill and delight the whole family, both young and old.