18 Dec-3 Jan 2010. In The Nutcracker, choreography by Derek Deane, music by Tchaikovsky. This is the most popular of all Christmas ballets. Based on The Nutcracker and the King of Mice, written by E.T.A. Hoffman, it is the story of a young girl, Clara, who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads. As far as the dancing goes, The Nutcracker is something of an unusual a ballet with the lead dancers appearing only for a short while and the Sugar Plum fairy for just a few minutes at the end of the second and final act. However it does mean that some less well-known dancers get a chance to display their talent.