The original story of the nutcracker was written in 1816 by German author, E.T.A. Hoffman. Although Hoffman’s story was a fairy tale with fanciful characters, it was not a story for children. Eventually, a French writer named Alexander Dumas rewrote it as a children’s story. This is the version on which the Nutcracker Ballet is based. In 1891, Russian choreographer, Marius Petipa, commissioned Tchaikovsky to write the music for what has become one of the most popular ballets in the world.

This holiday classic is the enchanting adventure of young Clara and her favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, which comes alive on Christmas Eve and whisks her away to a magical kingdom.