When your favorite toy becomes prince charming
THE NUTCRACKER
A two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E. T. A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King".
The "Nutcracker" is a classical ballet always drawing audiences of all ages. At the end of the 19th century the director of imperial theaters Prince Vsevolzhsky decided to create a magnificent and luxurious performance that would become the main event of the season. That's how Tchaikovsky got his commission to write the music to the "Nutcracker".

Tchaikovsky's music was lauded by critics, but some of the composer's contemporaries doubted the possibility of its staging. The Nutcracker's music is more complex than other Tchaikovsky works composed for ballet. It is not for nothing that the composer was caller the reformer of ballet music, someone who added dynamics, end-to-end development of characters and musical themes.

Nutcracker ballet based on scenario of Marius Petipa premiered in December 1892 at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Since then the ballet has undergone a record number of stagings — both classical and modern ones.

This ballet is based on Gofmann's fairytale "The Nutcracker and the Mice King". On Christmas Eve Drosselmeyer has prepared wonderful Christmas presents for the kids — windup dolls, for his goddaughter Mary he made a strange doll that cracks nuts — the Nutcracker. At night the Nutcracker comes alive and turns into a beautiful prince. He fearlessly comes out against the mice, beats the Mice King in battle and together with Mary goes on a fairytale trip.

The magic castle of Confiturembourg. The Sugar Plum Fairy announces beginning of the celebration. Mary and the Nutcracker enthusiastically watch the show in their honor. The celebration comes to an end and Mary and the Nutcracker leave the fairytale country. In the morning she wakes up in the living room with a nutcracker doll in her hands….