So mysterious a magician with inexplicable powers; so pretty a fairy dancing with a handsome prince; so evil the mice and their king; such fun-filled celebrations in a Christmas party – all this and more at The Nutcracker!
The music to The Nutcracker was composed by Tchaikovsky in 1891. 1892 saw the first ever production of this endearing ballet at the famous Marrinsky Theatre, Russia with choreography by the great Marius Petipa. In the mid-20th Century, The Nutcracker made its way to Western Europe and America. Since then, it has enjoyed enormous popularity all over the world. Every ballet company from Australia to Europe and Asia to America performs it during the holiday season. The Nutcracker is without doubt one of the favourites of the ballet world!
The Nutcracker is a fairy tale about the magic of selfless love! The ballet begins with a Christmas Party at Herr Stahlbaum’s house. A wicked spell of the Queen of the Mice has transformed the Prince of the Kingdom of Sweets into an ugly Nutcracker doll. Herr Drosselmeyer, a magical toy-maker, brings the Nutcracker doll to the party and gifts it to the Stahlbaum’s daughter, Clara. It is Clara’s love and fearlessness that helps the Nutcracker defeat the mice in battle and get transformed back into the Prince he once was! After the victory, the Prince and Clara, who are happily in love with each other, travel through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets where the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince put on fascinating dances to entertain the couple.
Highlights of the Show:
- The Dolls dance – a perfect piece of puppetry, presented by the dolls at The Christmas Party
- The Waltz of the Snowflakes – ballerinas in white sparkly tutus dance like an ethereal snow-fall
- The Nutcracker’s pas de deux – where the Prince dances with his Sugar Plum Fairy
- Spanish, Arabian, Russian, Chinese dances & the dance of reed flutes