13-23 Dec 2005. In The Nutcracker, choreography from Marius Petipa.

The Nutcraker is the Christmas ballet par excellence as the story specially appealing to children takes place under the Christmas tree. As per tradition, it is showing in theatres throughout the country performed by different companies with different choreographies, to Tchaikovskys wonderful music. The 1892 ballet is based on E.T.A. Hoffmans The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Its central character is the young girl Klara who is given a nutcracker by her godfather Drosselmeyer for Christmas. She falls asleep and dreams that she defends it against the King of the Mice. The Nutcracker then changes into a handsome Prince, who takes her on a fabulous journey; after passing through a snowstorm, they come to the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy honours them with a grand divertissment. Original choreographer Marius Petipa wanted to produce the ballet himself but illness compelled him to hand it over to Lev Ivanov, of whose choreography only the grand pas de deux of the Sugar-Plum Fairy and her Cavalier has survived. The loose dramatic structure has led to many individual adaptations but the ballet remains a treat for children with its vision of childhood of small, orderly and unstained lives that can be touched by magic.