In 1815 German writer E.T.A. Hoffman wrote “ The Nutcraker and the Mouse King”.  A young girl’s love brought life to her favorite gift, a nutcracker.  The nutcracker was a Christmas gift from her strange and mysterious godfather.  French writer Alexander Dumas rewrote the story in 1847.  In 1891 the Imperial Theatre Directorate in St. Petersburg, Russia commissioned Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky to write a one act opera.  He chose the story of the nutcracker turned prince.  The Theatre Directorate selected Dumas’ adaptation of the story, much to Tchaikovsky’s dismay.  The first production of the ballet was presented in St. Petersburg in 1892.  It was met with very unfavorable welcome.
The Nutcracker was quite unlike any story audiences had seen.  Most ballets of the time were romantic and enchanting:  Giselle, Coppelia, and Sleeping Beauty.  Toys coming to life and fairy tale settings were common.  However, The Nutcracker added an element of darkness – attacking mice and dueling characters.
The original choreographer for the dancers was Marius Petipa.  When he became ill, his assistant Leon Ivanov took over.  Although Petipa insisted he did little toward the finished production, both received public recognition and accolades.
It wasn’t until 1935 that the ballet traveled to London.  The first full-length American production was in San Francisco in 1944 with William Christensen as choreographer.
Although interpretations have varied, character names changed, and plots twisted, this delightful classic stands as a seasonal gift to the child in each of us.  The whimsy of Mother Ginger, the beauty of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the command of the Nutcracker thrill us every time we experience it.  Its timeless grace continues to delight audiences over one hundred years after Tchaikovsky’s first presentation.