The Nutcracker is a ballet in two acts with music by Tchaikovsky. Nobody speaks. Dancers tell the story with movement while an orchestra plays. Most productions last about two hours with one intermission. A child who knows the story and a few of the tunes before the show has much more to hold on to.
This guide covers the story, the length, the scary parts, and what to do at home in the week before.
What happens in the story
Each ballet company tells the story in its own way. The girl is called Clara in many productions and Marie in others. This is the usual outline.
Act 1. It is Christmas Eve, and a family is holding a party. The girl’s godfather, Drosselmeyer, arrives with gifts. He gives her a wooden nutcracker shaped like a soldier. Her brother breaks it, and Drosselmeyer mends it.
After the party, the girl comes back to check on her nutcracker and falls asleep. The clock strikes midnight. The Christmas tree grows until it towers over the room. Mice pour in, led by the Mouse King. The Nutcracker comes to life and leads the toy soldiers into battle. The girl throws her slipper at the Mouse King, and the Nutcracker wins.
The Nutcracker turns into a prince. He takes the girl through a forest where snowflakes dance.
Act 2. The two arrive in the Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy. Dancers perform for them, one group after another. There is a Spanish dance for chocolate, an Arabian dance for coffee, a Chinese dance for tea, a Russian dance, and a dance of the reed pipes. In many productions, Mother Ginger appears in a huge skirt, and children run out from under it. Then comes the Waltz of the Flowers. Last, the Sugar Plum Fairy dances with her partner.
In many versions, the girl wakes up at home beside the tree.
The ballet is based on a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann, published in 1816, as retold by Alexandre Dumas. It was first danced in St. Petersburg in December 1892.
How long it runs
Most productions run about two hours, with one intermission between the acts. Check the listing for your theater, because some companies offer a shorter family version.
The first act holds most of the story. The second act is a string of short dances with little plot. A child who is finished at intermission has still seen the party, the tree, the battle, and the snow.
Is my child old enough?
There is no single answer. Theaters set their own rules. Some have a minimum age, and many ask for a ticket for every child, including a child on a lap. Read the rules before you buy.
A few questions help. Can your child sit through a film? Can your child whisper? Is your child fine with a dark room and sudden loud sounds?
For a younger child, ask the box office about other options. Some companies hold relaxed performances, where some lights stay on and families can move around. Ballet schools stage their own productions, and these are often shorter.
What to do in the week before
Tell the story. Read a picture-book version, or tell it from the outline above. Tell it more than once. A child who knows what comes next has something to watch for.
Play the music. Start with four short pieces: the March, “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” the Russian Dance, and “Waltz of the Flowers.” The Nutcracker Suite listening guide goes through each one. Play them in the car and at breakfast.
Explain how ballet works. The dancers do not talk. They show feelings with their bodies and faces. Some dance on the tips of their toes in special shoes. The orchestra sits in a pit in front of the stage, below the level of the seats.
Explain the clapping. At the ballet, people clap when the conductor walks in, and they clap after a dance ends. Your child can join in.
Warn about the battle. The lights go down, the mice come out, and some productions fire a toy cannon with a loud bang. Tell your child the mice are dancers in costumes, and that the Nutcracker wins.
On the day
Feed your child before you leave. Arrive half an hour early. Use the washroom, then find your seats.
Before the show starts, walk to the front and look down into the orchestra pit. Children like to see the players tuning up. Find the harp, the drums, and the celesta, which looks like a small upright piano.
Ask an usher about booster cushions. Many theaters lend them.
At intermission, go to the washroom first and have the snack second. The lines grow fast.
If your child is done before the end, leave during the applause between dances. Leaving early after a good first act is a success.
What to listen and look for
The growing tree. As the tree rises, the music climbs higher and louder, step by step.
Voices in the snow. In “Waltz of the Snowflakes,” a choir sings with no words. It is often a children’s choir.
The celesta. The Sugar Plum Fairy dances to the bell sound your child heard at home. Tchaikovsky was one of the first composers to use the instrument in an orchestra.
The harp. “Waltz of the Flowers” opens with a long run of notes on the harp alone.
After the show
Ask which dance was the favorite, and play that music again at home. Clear some floor space and let your child dance it.
A listening journal page gives a child a place to draw the scene they remember best. For a party, make Nutcracker cards with the listening bingo maker.
To learn about the composer, read Tchaikovsky for kids. For more December music, see Christmas classical music for kids. For a symphony concert, the steps in first orchestra concert with kids apply.
More from this guide
This article is part of First orchestra concert with kids: what to expect and how to prepare.
Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.