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December 11, 2024

N.Y. State Ballet Performs the Nutcracker at Roberts Wesleyan University Dec. 12-15

2 dancers pose

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, with a score by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Hoffmann's 1816 story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" inspired the ballet's narrative, though Alexandre Dumas's later adaptation is what the ballet more closely follows. It premiered in Russia in 1892. E.T.A. 

The story follows young Clara (sometimes called Marie), who receives a nutcracker doll from her godfather Drosselmeyer at a Christmas Eve party. At midnight, the nutcracker comes to life, battles the Mouse King, and transforms into a prince. He takes Clara on a magical journey through the Land of Sweets, where they meet characters like the Sugar Plum Fairy and witness dances representing treats from around the world.

The Nutcracker will be performed Dec. 12-15 in Hale Auditorium on the Roberts Wesleyan University campus.

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