"For the first time, this beloved holiday story is told based on George Balanchine's quintessential production. The storyline mimics the choreography of the famous ballet and the illustrations are inspired by the backdrops and scenery from the actual New York City Ballet production"--
On Christmas Eve, a little girl helps break the spell on her wooden nutcracker and watches him turn into a handsome prince, who takes her to his kingdom in the Land of Sweets.
The delightful story of a little girl's love for an enchanted nutcracker comes to life with the help of a few crayons, felt-tip pens, or other coloring media. All the wonderful characters and scenes are here: Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum house: Clara, together with the Nutcracker Prince; the dancing Sugar Plum Fairy, adventures in Toyland, and more. Lovers of the beloved holiday tale as well as ballet fans of all ages will treasure this captivating collection of drawings.
"Fisher traces The Nutcracker's history from its St. Petersburg premiere in 1892 through its emigration to North America in the mid-twentieth century to the many productions of recent years. She notes that after it was choreographed by another Russian immigration to the New World, George Balanchine, the ballet began to thrive and variegate: Hawaiians added hula, Canadians added hockey, Mark Morris set it in the swinging sixties, and Donald Byrd placed it in Harlem. Americans understood and developed the ballet's themes - the pain and promise of childhood, the excitement of Christmas, the independence of its heroines Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the adventure of journeying to unknown lands and finding that "there's no place like home.""--BOOK JACKET.
A reimagined and modern take on the holiday favorite, this picture book weaves together the classic Christmas tale of The Nutcracker and the true-life story of 12-year-old ballerina Charlotte Nebres, the first Black girl to play Marie in the New York City Ballet’s production. The only thing Charlotte loves as much as ballet is Christmas. So, when she gets the opportunity to play Marie in the New York City Ballet's The Nutcracker, she leaps at the chance. Dancing takes practice-hours of adjusting her arms and perfecting her jumps. With the help of her Trinidadian and Filipino families, encouragement from her sister, and a view of her mom and dad in the audience, Charlotte finds the strength to never give up. In this spectacular debut full of fluid, dynamic illustrations, Charlotte provides youngsters with a multicultural tale of family, dance, and holiday cheer.
Every December, The Nutcracker comes to life in theaters all across the United States. But how did this 19th-century Russian ballet become such a big part of the holidays in 21st-century America? Meet Willam, Harold, and Lew Christensen, three small-town Utah boys who caught the ballet bug in the early 1900s. They performed on vaudeville and took part in the New York City dance scene. Russian immigrants shared the story of The Nutcracker with them, and during World War II, they staged their own Christmastime production in San Francisco. It was America's first full-length version and the beginning of a delightful holiday tradition.