The Nutcracker: San Francisco Opera Ballet

First performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the classic Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker has been shown for over 100 years. The composer, Peter Tchaikovsky, and choreographer Marius Petipa teamed up to create a timeless production as an adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s tale "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." This pair had previously worked together on another classical ballet, Sleeping Beauty.
Despite the great fame of the ballet today, The Nutcracker was not a success right away. It’s first production was basically a failure. No one liked it, neither the audience nor the critics. The popularity of the ballet was gained when it came to the United States in 1944. The first production in America was performed by the San Francisco Opera Ballet,
directed by William Christensen. George Balanchine brought The Nutcracker to life in 1954. His production for the New York City Ballet gave the ballet it’s take off for fame, establishing it as a holiday tradition.
The ballet starts on Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum house. While the guests are arriving, Clara and Fritz are dancing and playing as they greet their friends. Eventually a clock and toy maker, godfather Drosselmeyer arrives. He grabs everyone’s attention as he reveals two life-size dolls. Soon the children begin opening their presents as Clara is given a beautiful nutcracker. Out of jealousy, Fritz snatches it from her hands and promptly breaks it. Clara wistfully returns the nutcracker to Drosselmeyer in hopes of its repair. As the guests depart and the night comes to an end, Clara checks on her beloved nutcracker near the tree and falls asleep with it in her arms.
The clock strikes midnight and Clara shrinks as the beautiful tree begins to tower over her.
The toys suddenly come to life and an army of mice come flooding into the living room. As the Nutcracker awakens, he engages in a battle, leading an entire army of toy soldiers. Then the Mouse King approach the Nutcracker, starting a one-on-one battle. However, the Nutcracker is no match for the Mouse King. Clara sees the Nutcracker and his army about to fall when she daringly throws her slipper to the Mouse King’s head. The King falls to the ground as the mice scurry away dragging their leader’s lifeless body behind.
Magically the Nutcracker turns into a handsome prince and takes Clara on a journey through an enchanted forest wonderland where they are welcomed by dancing snowflakes. Next, the Prince escorts Clara to the Land of Sweets where they meet the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Prince explains to her the recent battle that they won against the mice. The Fairy rewards them with a celebration of dances. These dances include the Spanish, Arabian, Russian, Chinese, Mirliton Dance and the Waltz of Flowers. For the finale, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier dance a Pas De Deux. The ballet ends with Clara waking up under the tree with her beloved nutcracker.
Although the Nutcracker was not a success right away, it has gained great popularity over time. The mass of its fame was obtained in the United States. Today, the Nutcracker is the most watched ballet during the holiday
season.