The Story of The San Jose Nutcracker

The Nutcracker ballet was first performed in December 1892 with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The traditional story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King. Hoffmann’s story is darker and more troubling than the version that reached the stage; the Imperial Russian Ballet choreographer Marius Petipa chose to follow a light adaptation of the story written by Alexandre Dumas père.

In traditional Nutcrackers, Clara (sometimes named Marie), receives a Nutcracker from her godfather Drosselmeyer on Christmas Eve. She is enchanted by the doll and sneaks back to play with it after her family has gone to bed. Magic ensues and her family Christmas tree grows to enormous heights. A rat king appears and he battles the Nutcracker, now full size, along with his army of mice who fight with toy soldiers. Clara distract the rat king by throwing her slipper at him, and the Nutcracker slays him. The Nutcracker is transformed into a prince and takes Clara on a journey through the land of snow to the land of the sweets where she meets the Sugarplum Fairy.

In New Ballet’s “The San Jose Nutcracker” the story is transported to San Jose at the turn of the last century. danced to the traditional score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, features swirling snowflakes, dancing flowers, the Sugarplum Fairy and a brave heroine Clara. Watch the video below to hear the story of The San Jose Nutcracker!