Nutcracker

The Nutcracker in time for Christmas
Fairy-tale Russian ballet art for young and old. A perfect work of art with live orchestra accompaniment.

The ballet "The Nutcracker" is based on Alexandre Dumas' version of the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Tchaikovsky's musical adaptation premiered on December 18, 1892, in St. Petersburg under the choreography of Lev Ivanov and delighted both children and adults.

Classical ballet has often been highly praised by critics around the world. But there is a saying: "Better seen once than heard a hundred times." Experience the beautiful ballet "The Nutcracker" with the International Festival Ballet and Festival Orchestra.

At the center of the story is Marie. On Christmas Eve, she receives a nutcracker as a gift from her godfather Drosselmeyer. As she goes to sleep, she dreams of a battle led by the nutcracker against the army of the Mouse King. With her help, the nutcracker triumphs and then transforms into a prince. The prince takes Marie to the Land of Sweets, traveling through the Pine Forest to the Castle of Sugar, where the Sugar Fairy hosts a celebration in honor of her guests. Additionally, the magnificent set design by the brilliant theater designer Vyacheslav Okunev, who has worked for the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and La Scala in Milan, along with beautiful costumes and the boundless elegance and carefree lightness of the International Festival Ballet ensemble, create a dreamy and fairy-tale version of a classic ballet that continues to captivate even after more than 100 years.

Artistic Director: Elena Antsupova

The International Festival Ballet was founded in 2009 to represent the best traditions and spirit of classical ballet.

The International Festival Ballet is an international ballet company that transcends national borders, uniting dancers from more than 20 different nations and advocating for understanding and coexistence in the poetry of art, music, and dance. Artistically, the ballet represents the Russian school of classical ballet in its purest form. Strict elegance combined with influences from modernity and the 21st century results in a top-class dance performance—all accompanied by magnificent costumes and stunning sets.

Classical ballet has a long-standing tradition in Eastern Europe, which is still upheld today. Renowned ballet schools are known for their high standards and rigor, and students for their determination, ambition, and immense talent. The 42 dancers of the International Festival Ballet have all undergone this rigorous training, whether at the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, the ballet school in Ufa, or the ballet academy in Perm in Russia, as well as the ballet schools in Kyiv or Kharkiv in Ukraine, or even at Italy's La Scala or France's Grand Opera. They have all worked at the most important ballet theaters in Europe and won numerous awards at international ballet festivals and competitions. Together, they have become one of the most aesthetically and technically successful ballet companies not only in Europe but also, as part of the International Festival Ballet, worldwide. In addition to an absolutely precise dance technique, this ballet stands out at a high level for its harmonious and cohesive overall picture and elegant lightness. The International Festival Ballet shines with a perfect dance performance that takes the audience's breath away.

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Artistic Director & Conductor: Normunds Vaicis

The Festival Orchestra was founded by talented musicians from Moldova, Ukraine, and Latvia. The artistic director and principal conductor is the renowned Maestro Normunds Vaicis. The orchestra's repertoire includes works by Ravel, Debussy, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Massenet, Faure, Albegis, Gounod, and many others. The music for classical ballets such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote, and many others is at the heart of the repertoire. The orchestra has collaborated with renowned ballet ensembles from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. The Festival Orchestra performs with great success in France, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and other European countries and has established itself as one of the best ballet orchestras in Europe despite its relatively small size. In the near future, they will play the classical ballet seasons for the famous International Festival Ballet Company in Scandinavia, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany, and Austria.