A Classıc New Year's Performance
The Nutcracker Ballet

İstanbul State Opera and Ballet will premiere the ballet "The Nutcracker," a Christmas classic by the Russian composer P. I. Tchaikovsky, on the evening of December 27, 2023, at the Atatürk Cultural Centre Türk Telekom Opera Hall. This ballet, composed in 1891 as Tchaikovsky's last work, revolves around the dreams of a young German girl, Clara Stahlbaum, and her Christmas gift, a nutcracker toy.

The story of "The Nutcracker" is originally based on E. T. A. Hoffmann's 1816 story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." This story, inspired by various folk tales from different countries, was later adapted and published in a more fairy tale-like form in 1844 by the renowned French author Alexandre Dumas (père), who softened the original story's darker elements.

Ivan Vsevolozhsky, the director of the Royal Theaters in St. Petersburg during the 1890s, thought Dumas's version of "The Nutcracker" story would make a good ballet and commissioned Tchaikovsky to compose it. The world premiere of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker," set to a detailed libretto prepared by the famous French-origin ballet master and choreographer Marius Petipa, took place on December 18, 1892, but was initially unsuccessful. Despite this failure, the ballet was saved from being forgotten over the years thanks to various choreographers who restaged the work with their own modifications.

Today, "The Nutcracker" holds an unchanging place in the repertoire of ballet companies worldwide, particularly as a New Year's classic, and often sells out during its performances.

This year's performance of "The Nutcracker" by İstanbul State Opera and Ballet features choreography by Mehmet Balkan (following M. Petipa – L. Ivanov) and is staged by Lale Balkan. The performance is in two acts.