Ballet-féerie in two acts
Libretto by Marius Petipa, based on the tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann
Choreography by Vasily Vainonen in the version by Natalia Spitsyna
The ballet was created in 1892. This version was first performed in Perm in 2006. Running time: 2 hours including 1 interval
In writing the score for The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky took advice from Marius Petipa, the Principal Ballet Master of the Imperial theatres. In the original libretto, the main character is called Clara, as in Hoffmann’s original tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King from the Serapion Brethren collection. In time, however, the story of the little girl rescued from wicked spells and the mouse army by a Prince in the form of a wooden toy was Russified, and the girl came to be called Masha.
The version usually performed in Russia is Vasily Vainonen’s 1934 production. In 2006, Vainonen’s choreography was recreated on the Perm stage by Mariinsky Theatre coach Natalia Spitsyna.
Age category: 6+