The Nutcracker and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

The Nutcracker is a celebrated two-act classical ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which premiered in December 1892. Based on Alexandre Dumas’s adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s fantasy story, the plot follows a young girl named Clara who receives a magical nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve. After the doll comes to life and defeats the evil Mouse King, it transforms into a prince and takes Clara on an enchanting journey to the Land of Sweets.