Midland Festival Ballet

The Stahlbaum family is hosting a Christmas party!

Clara and Fritz anxiously await the arrival of their godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer. Wearing a black eye patch, he is an odd and mysterious man who makes clocks and mechanical toys.

When he finally arrives, he brings gifts: dancing mechanical dolls…

a handsome horse for Fritz…

and a glorious Nutcracker for Clara!

He also brings his nephew, Peter, to meet Clara.

Fritz is jealous of Clara’s Nutcracker, so he soon grabs it and breaks it!

But Drosselmeyer quickly puts the Nutcracker back together for Clara.

At the end of the night everyone joins in for one final dance.

The guests leave, Clara and Peter say goodbye and the Stahlbaum family goes upstairs to bed. Clara cautiously comes back downstairs to look for her beloved Nutcracker and falls asleep in a chair with him in her arms.

At the stroke of midnight, magical things begin to happen! The Christmas tree begins to grow until it fills the room!

A fierce battle breaks out between her Nutcracker with his battalion of soldiers and a Mouse King with his troop of mice!

The Nutcracker is mortally wounded in battle!

But Drosselmeyer appears and brings the Nutcracker to life as a handsome Prince!

The Prince takes Clara on an enchanted journey through the Land of Snow where snowflakes dance around them.

Angels lead Clara and the Nutcracker Prince to the Kingdom of Sweets where the Sugar Plum Fairy presents her subjects:

Chocolate from Spain

Coffee from Arabia

Tea from China

Peppermint Candy Canes

Mirlitons

Mother Ginger and her Bon Bons

and the beautiful Dew Drop Fairy and her entourage of Flowers. They all entertain Clara and the Nutcracker Prince with dancing.

Last of all, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier dance a magnificent Pas de Deux.

Suddenly, all the Sweets encircles Clara. The Nutcracker Prince and the Kingdom of Sweets fade away.

Clara awakens to her parents around her, her Nutcracker in her arms, and the memory of her wonderful journey.