The Nutcracker

NYC Ballet for Young Audiences

The Nutcracker ballet has become a holiday season tradition for those of all ages. This year, your entire family will delight in experiencing the New York City Ballet for Young Audiences perform this classic.

Dedicated to reaching youngsters of all ages and backgrounds, the NYC Ballet for Young Audiences travels throughout the East Coast performing through dance, music and the spoken word.

Nutcracker tells the story of a young German girl who dreams of a nutcracker prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.

Originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the story was adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by way of Alexander Dumas’ adapted story The Nutcracker. It premiered in Russia on Dec. 18, 1892. Although the original production was not a success, the 20-minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted from the ballet, especially the Russian Dance portion, has become one of his most famous compositions.