The Nutcracker

In 1816 the German novelist E.T.A. Hoffmann wrote a fairy tale about “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice”. The story inspired the great choreographer Marius Petipa, creator of Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty to produce a new ballet called The Nutcracker. Before he could finish his work Petipa became ill and his assistant had to finish the ballet. Finally in 1892 The Nutcracker was performed in St. Petersburg. In 1944 the San Francisco Ballet performed the first full length version in the United States. Since that time The Nutcracker has become the most performed ballet in the world and a holiday favorite.