The Nutcracker Ballet

It’s as part of Christmas as reindeer, stockings and candy canes. During this time of the year ballet companies around the world are presenting their rendition of the “Nutcracker” ballet and many people are planning their visit to see the ballet. For many this is the only ballet they will ever attend. The “Nutcracker” is the most popular ballet in the world.

The “Nutcracker” ballet is based on the story "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" written by E.T.A. Hoffman. While different from the original story, the basic plot remains the same. The story of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a battle against a Mouse King with seven heads. When Marius Petipa had the idea to choreograph the story into a ballet, it was based

This begs the question how did a German short story, with music composed by a Russian, Tchaikovsky and brought to the stage by a choreographer from France, become so popular at Christmas. According to German legend, nutcrackers bring good luck and protection to a family and its home. As a result of the ballet the production of nutcrackers in Germany continues today.

Created in 1892 to Tchaikovsky 's music, The Nutcracker was introduced to North America in the early 20th century by Russian ballet companies and some say “legitimized” in the 1954 by George Balanchine. Balanchine choreographed his Americanized version, adding it to the New York City Ballet 's annual holiday repertoire. Televised in the late 1950s, New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker was seen nationwide. Balanchine added many parts in the play for children. His reasoning was "each child brings four people: mom, dad, sister, and aunt. Multiply this by all the children in the ballet and you have an audience." The ballet has an appeal to many, some who are regular ballet attendees and others who only attend this ballet, this time of year. After the first American production of the Nutcracker at the San Francisco Ballet in 1944 and