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Nutcracker Ballet Story
The Nutcracker Ballet, based on E.T.A.
Hoffman's "The Nutcracker and the King
of Mice", is
about a young German girl who
anticipates Christmas. When she drifts
off to sleep, she dreams of a Nutcracker
Prince and a variety of inanimate
objects that come to life in a fanciful
fantasy of dance and song wrapped around
a simple plot that entails a fierce
battle pitting the Nutcracker against a
Mouse King with seven heads.
Marius Petipa is credited with
choreographing the story into a ballet
based on a revision by French
author Alexander Dumas.
Clara and Fritz Stahlbaum, two German
children dance and play at an annual
Christmas party at their parents' home
one Christmas Eve. The grand house with
the most beautiful tree imaginable. The
party grows festive with music and dance
as godfather Drosselmeyer, a skilled
clock and toy maker arrives. He is and
always full of surprises. Drosselmeyer
draws everyone's attention as he
presents two life-size dolls. They are
the delight of the party, each taking a
turn to dance.
The children begin to open gifts when
Drosselmeyer presents his to Clara and
Fritz. Although his gift to Fritz is
quite nice, he gives Clara a beautiful
Nutcracker that becomes the hit of the
party. Fritz becomes jealous and grabs
the nutcracker from Clara, breaking it.
Clara is heartbroken looking on as
Drosselmeyer quickly repairs the
Nutcracker with a handkerchief he
magically draws from the air. The guests
eventually leave for the night and the
family goes to bed. But Clara is worried
about her beloved Nutcracker, and sneaks
back to the tree to check on him,
falling asleep with him in her arms.
As the clock strikes midnight strange
things happen. Clara begins shrinking as
her beautiful Christmas tree grows high
above her. The toys around the tree come
to life while the room fills with an
army of mice, lead by the fierce Mouse
King. The Nutcracker awakens, leading
his army of toy soldiers into battle
with the mice. The Mouse King corners
the Nutcracker and battles him
one-on-one. The Nutcracker is no match
for the Mouse King and is captured along
with his soldiers. Clara makes a final
daring charge, throwing her slipper at
the Mouse King, hitting him square on
the head. The Mouse King drops to the
floor and the mice run away, carrying
their leader's lifeless body.
Then the Nutcracker turns into a Prince
and takes Clara on a journey to the Land
of Snow, an enchanted forest wonderland
where they are welcomed by dancing
snowflakes. Next the Prince escorts
Clara to the Land of Sweets where they
are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy. The
Prince tells her about their daring
battle with the army of mice and she
rewards them with a celebration of
dances: The Spanish Dance; The Arabian
Dance; The Russian Dance; The Chinese
Dance; The Mirliton Dance; The Waltz of
Flowers. The final dance is a Pas De
Deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and
the Cavalier. Then Clara awakens from
her dream and finds herself by her
Christmas tree with her beloved
Nutcracker.
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