The Nutcracker is a ballet in two acts with music by Tchaikovsky. The original version of the ballet was created and staged by the great Russian choreographer Marius Pepita in December 1892 however The Nutcracker has been staged many times, choreographed by ballet greats such as Rudolph Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. The ballet is usually performed near to Christmas in-keeping with the story’s theme. The story centers on a young girl, Clara whose godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, makes toys with magical qualities. Clara dreams that her toys come to life and the ballet is an interpretation of her fantastical dream.
The ballet Swan Lake received its premiere in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theatre in February 1877. Set to the music of Tchaikovsky the story tells of the young Prince Franz who falls in love with Odette a princess who is under the spell of an evil magician. Odette can only take on her human form at night, during the day she is turned into a swan. This spell can only be broken by the love of a virgin prince. The ballet is a romantic tragedy but the ending where the couple are reunited in the afterlife is moving and uplifting. The version of Swan Lake staged in St Petersburg 1895 by Marius Pepita and Lev Ivanov is widely regarded as the definitive version.
The ballet The Sleeping Beauty is a classic ballet based on the well-loved fairytale of a princess who sleeps for 100 years after pricking her finger on a spinning wheel. The Sleeping Beauty with music by Tchaikovsky premiered in St Petersburg on the 18th of December 1892. It was choreographed Marius Pepita, famous for his contribution to 19th Century ballet.
Sergei Prokofiev provided the music for the ballet adaption of William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. The story of young lovers born to warring families is a well-known classic. The ballet has been staged many times with definitive versions being choreographed by John Cranko in 1962 for the Stuttgart Ballet and the 1965 Kenneth MacMillan’s stunning interpretation for London’s Royal Ballet.
Copplia is a quirky and comic ballet that had its premiere in Paris at the Theatre Imperial de l’Opera in May 1870. With music by Lo Delibes the story revolves around a young engaged couple called Franz and Swanhilda. Franz falls in love with Copplia a young beauty who sits on her balcony reading all day but never speaking. Swanhilda finds out that Copplia is just a doll made by an eccentric toymaker and disguises herself as Copplia with the aim of winning back the love of her fiance.
The much-loved fairytale story Cinderella provides the plotline for the ballet of the same name and is set to music by Sergei Prokofiev. Cinderella premiered in November 1945 at the Bolshoi Theatre with Rostislav Zakharov providing the choreography. A well-regarded interpretation of Cinderella is Sir Frederick Ashton’s 1948 version.