The Endurance of "The Nutcracker"
How Tchaikovsky's holiday classic went from being panned by critics to becoming the world's most popular ballet.
This essay was originally published on December 11th, 2023. To gain access to the full publication archives, along with exclusive, patron-only essays, become a paid subscriber today:
In the midnight gloom of a winter wood, stately pine trees tower overhead. The snowfall begins gradually—a few iridescent flakes make their descent, followed by a few dozen, followed by hundreds, until the ground is blanketed in snow.
If you keep watching, something miraculous happens.
The snow stirs, and suddenly, a snowflake transforms into a dancer. Clothed in shimmering white tulle and crowned in a diamond tiara, the dancer leaps gracefully amongst the trees. Another materializes, and as she twirls through the snow, she is lighter than the wind that sings through the sea of pines. The wintry landscape soon teems with dancers, and the music accompanying their synchronized movements crescendos…
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