The Nutcracker can be viewed as classic holiday ritual on the level of Christmas tree decoration or holiday baking, but this annual viewing of the classic ballet became a tradition in the States only recently. It first premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892, and while it has intergraded into American holiday culture, the ballet was initially ill received by Russian critics who labeled it “too childish” with “showboat effects” that “distract[ed] from the dance.”
Although it was performed in the U.S. in 1944 by the San Francisco Ballet, the ballet did not gain popularity until the commercial success of George Balanchine’s rendition in 1954 by the New York Ballet. With the success of the 1954 rendition, the ballet soon grew in popularity in American culture by incorporating elements of the local style of dance. Some have even credited the performance with giving new life to the art of ballet because it brings generations of dancers together—the ballet requires dancers at all skill levels from beginners to masters of ballet, which allows performers to grow into roles.
Since its acceptance into American culture, elements of The Nutcracker have appeared across media throughout the years. One of the well-known tributes is Disney’s Fantasia, which features a segment incorporating music from the ballet, while one of the more odd tributes is an episode of Batman: The Animated Series (“Christmas with the Joker,” which aired in November 1992) in which Batman and Robin battle robotic nutcrackers as “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” plays in the background.
The Nutcracker will be performed locally by a variety of ballet companies, all with unique renditions: A colonial rendition performed by the Washington Ballet uses George Washington and King George III as characters in its performance, while the Moscow Ballet sticks with the original Russian culture influence in their performance. Check out the full list of performances below:
The Moscow Ballet
George Mason Concert Hall: 4400 University Drive, Fairfax
Dec. 19 & 20, 7 p.m.
$20-$175
Manassas Ballet
Merchant Hall: 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas
Dec. 15-23, times vary
$25-$65
The Washington Ballet
Warner Theater: 513 13th St. NW,
Washington, DC 20004
Dec. 1-24, times vary
$37-$120
The Classical Ballet Theatre of Northern Virginia
Ernst Community Cultural
Center at NVCC Annandale
Campus: 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale
Nov. 26, 2 & 7 p.m.; Nov. 27, 2 p.m.
Gainesville Ballet
Merchant Hall: 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas
Nov. 25, 2 & 7 p.m.
$15-$40
NOVA Youth Ballet
Merchant Hall: 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas
Nov. 26, 2 & 6 p.m.
$20-$35
