Balanchine's The Nutcracker has been staged by New York City Ballet every year since 1954, and this cinema screening brings the production to the big screen. Tchaikovsky's music carries the story from a young love tested by mischievous mice and a toy soldiers' battle, through a snowstorm on stage, to a sweet-filled land of confections.
The production features Megan Fairchild, Joaquin De Luz and Ashley Bouder, alongside the company's dancers and a large cast of children from the School of American Ballet. Tchaikovsky's score is conducted by Fayçal Karoui with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, and the staging is noted for its lavish sets, costumes and visual effects, including a Christmas tree that grows to around 12 metres tall.
