Russian State Ballet Academy of Perm
"Nutcracker" Ballet – Libretto

The academy's foundation (1943) goes back to the famous Vaganova Ballet Academy and the superb Mariinskij Theatre of St. Petersburg (the former Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre) which were moved to Perm during the war years. The Perm Ballet Academy comprises 300 ballet dancers from all over Russia. Many of them have won awards in national and international competitions.

Well known in homeland and across Europe, welcome guests at great opera and ballet houses worldwide, Russian State Ballet Academy artists will perform at last in Great Britain in 2009! They bring to UK one of the most popular and best-known ballet classics since its premiere in 1892; the "Nutcracker". For generations of theatre-goers, Peter Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker has been an integral part of the run-up to Christmas. As though the falling of snow flakes and the smell of Christmas spices could be turned into music...

First Act:

In the room adorned with Christmas decorations the president and his wife welcome their guests, who come to spend Christmas Eve with them and their children. The clock strikes nine and the children dance into the room. Uncle Drosselmeier is the special guest to be welcomed, as has brought for two children of the house, Marie and Franz, a glockenspiel with four dolls. The performance of this pas de quatre is an absolute delight, but its time for the children to go to bed. As they beg their parents to allow them to stay up a little longer, Drosselmeier takes out from his pocket another present. It is a nutcracker for his darling Marie. The girl is overjoyed, but her brother Franz wants the nutcracker too, so an argument breaks out between them. A family dance, an old Christmas custom, brings the evening to an end when all the guests bid their farewells and the children go to bed.

Christmas Eve is over. Marie returns alone to the now dark living room to take her nutcracker she had left there after the argument. Suddenly her usual world turns into a mixture of dream and reality, where the girl sees her nutcracker in the form of a live person at the head of soldiers. They are fighting against a horde of mice led by the mouse king. And only thanks to Marie's help the nutcracker holds the victory. As a token of gratitude the nutcracker invites her to accompany him to the Sugar Plum Fairy's Land of Sweets.

Marie and the nutcracker are surprised by a snow storm on their way to the Realm of Sweets. A snow king and snow queen rule over the snow flakes here. Surrounded by icicles, crystals and snow flakes, they perform a pas de deux in honour of Marie and the nutcracker and wish them a good journey.

Second Act:

Having reached the Sugar Plum Fairy's Land of Sweets, the nutcracker turns into a handsome prince. And then the sugar-plum fairy is summoned. She organises a welcome celebration in honour of Marie, featuring a series of character dances. The first group "Chocolate"is a Spanish dance, the second group "Coffee"takes the form of an Arabian dance. It is followed by "Tea"performed by a group of Chinese. Next, there is a fiery Cossack dance followed by the "Cane Flutes". The grand pas de deux performed by the sugar-plum fairy and the prince is preceded by The "Waltz of the Flowers". The welcome celebration ends with the Dance of the Little Bees in honour of the queen.

Suddenly Marie wakes up and realises that it was all just a dream as everything is on its usual place in the room. And the nutcracker still lies under the Christmas tree. But, this wonderful dream and this very special Christmas are things she will always remember...