One of the brightest stars on the annual Christmas scene is the New York City Ballet's production of The Nutcracker with its brilliant choreography by George Balanchine to the gay and melodious music of Tchaikovsky against the dazzling sets of Rouben Ter-Arutunian.
The story tells of the wonders of Christmas Eve at the home of a brother and sister with the joyful party of merry guests beneath the beautiful tree ablaze with ornaments and lights. There are games, toys, and, most marvelous of all, the gift of a Nutcracker. Miraculous happenings occur in which the toys grow to life-size, there is a battle with the seven-headed Mouse King and his forces, and a visit is made through the snowflakes to the palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Since the debut of this glittering seasonal fairy tale, Martha Swope has photographed the various performances. Now they come alive in this happy book, which recaptures the tale of The Nutcracker in her pictures and tells the background of the ballet and the story in an Introduction by Lincoln Kirstein.
