The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is the world's most performed ballet and the annual centrepiece of the festive season. On Christmas Eve, young Clara is given a nutcracker doll by her mysterious godfather Drosselmeyer. That night, the nutcracker comes to life and leads Clara through a magical snowstorm into the enchanted Land of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy presides over a glittering parade of divertissements. First staged at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg in December 1892, the ballet has become a beloved tradition worldwide. Tchaikovsky's score — featuring the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Waltz of the Snowflakes and the Grand Pas de Deux — is among the most recognisable music ever written.