Nutcracker Ballet History and Key Moments
The Nutcracker is a Christmas ballet about Clara receiving a nutcracker, toys coming to life, battles with mice, and a transformation into a prince. Clara visits the Magical Kingdom and meets the Sugar Plum Fairy as Dances unfold. The tale, by E T A Hoffmann with music by Peter Tchaikovsky, debuted in Russia in 1892 and reached the United States with the San Francisco Ballet in 1944.