The Nutcracker, the last ballet of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, has been one of the most beloved ballets of all time since the 1960s. The reasons for its popularity can be sought in the fact that the theme of the story and picturesque music are harmonised with the fairy-tale atmosphere of Christmastime and winter. In the first 50 years after it was composed the ballet never experienced the success which is accorded it today. It wasn’t until the well-known choreographer George Balanchine’s scenic, ingenious and intimate production uncovered the work’s true value to the broader public. And in the hands of an exceptional modern choreographer, such as the internationally recognised Canadian choreographer David Nixon, the work blossoms in all its beauty for today’s audiences — both children and adults who still know how to awaken the child in themselves once in a while — to enjoy. The story tells of an occurrence on Christmas eve as children impatiently await the exchanging of gifts. In the children’s imaginations Christmas presents conjure up their own story: the toy soldier Nutcracker revives the young girl Clara, whom he rescues from the attacking mouse army, afterwards transforming into a prince and whisking her off to a magnificent Christmas dance. The fate of the girl — is the prince the product if her dreams or is the fairy-tale ending perhaps real — is left to the choreographer, and the imagination of the audience, to decide.
