You descend shallow steps as you enter a vast theater. Curtains a crimson red hang from every spandrel against the wall. There are seats as far as the eye can see, and the slow hum of violin plays from the orchestra pit. It’s early December and you are taking part in the historical tradition of attending the classic Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker. Families from all over attend the ballet year after year trying to cure their boredom with the Christmas spirit. It is a phenomenon that could be described merely as social influence of Christmas tradition. However such influences must stem from somewhere, so where did it all begin? Why do we as a society choose to celebrate with this Christmas tradition? What about The Nutcracker ballet makes it so special, and dare I say, the most popular ballet to date?

The Nutcracker, originally part of a collection of stories from 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffman about a girl named Marie and her adventures with her toy nutcracker, was born when Tchaikovsky took the core elements of the story and wrote the music for the famous ballet that we know today. The ballet was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa.

The Nutcracker has been adapted a multitude of times, choreographers often pick it up and change areas where they see fit; however, The first performance of The Nutcracker was strictly performed in Russia in 1892. Many claimed The Nutcracker to be boring and uninspiring. However, things changed when it was brought to the US. The San Francisco Ballet took up the tradition of performing the famous ballet every year around Christmas time, and Americans loved it. This festive holiday performance incorporated their favorite treats into a romantic ballet that touched the hearts of lovers of the   Christmas spirit. The Nutcracker characterizes candy canes and gingerbread alike as alive and full of energy, putting on a show for Clara and The Nutcracker, and in turn, the audience. The entertainment value of The Nutcracker ballet is the main factor contributing to its success. That and the subtle Christmas theme that offers for a perfect holiday tradition. It was a recipe for success, and despite roadblocks along the way the ballet industry managed to launch the ballet into the mainstream.

Unfortunately, recently choosing to enjoy the beauty of dance rather than spending evenings cozy at home has become rarer and rarer. With the widespread use of social media and the internet allowing us convenience 24/7, we, as a society, choose to spend the majority of our time indoors. There is no longer the need to go out of our way to attend such frivolous activities as ballets, theaters, and plays unless of course to support a friend or family member. Despite the enriching nature of such performances, our low attention span, which has rapidly decreased since quarantine, has caused a lack of interest in such activities. To go to a show for the fun of it simply, the concept is nearly unheard of in this day and age.

And yet, year after year we line up for tickets as early as November, anxiously awaiting the day we get to see yet another rendition of the famous ballet. Dancers prepare for another year of training as early as January to score their desired part in the ballet. It is every dancer’s dream to partake in such a historic event. To have the privilege of saying you danced as Clara in any Nutcracker rendition is one of the highest rewards a young dancer can receive.

This year there was a wide popularity of Americans deciding to readapt this tradition and visit their local Nutcracker ballet for the holiday season. Shows that normally would be attended by mainly families and friends of the dancers were now being attended by complete strangers, purchasing a ticket to experience holiday joy among many others. The relevance of a holiday staple of attending a classic ballet has likely increased due to a lack of available holiday traditions for Americans to take part in. Aspects of earlier Christmas’ such as decorating gingerbread houses, enjoying winter festivities, and attending community events, and holiday light shows have not occurred as often as in the past. With our winters getting warmer and our time being spent focusing on other things, it’s become increasingly difficult to upkeep our holiday spirit. The Nutcracker ballet is a perfect solution to this problem. With almost every dance studio putting on its own show, most don’t have to travel far from home to attend a performance. And by bringing their family and friends they can enjoy a bit of winter magic in an otherwise warmer season.

There is a possibility that in coming years the general public will begin to appreciate the art form of other artistic dances, perhaps the increase in popularity of attending The Nutcracker will spark something in the audience, and with a renewed love for ballet, they will seek out other local performances. Nevertheless, The Nutcracker remains the public’s favorite ballet. It will always be a classic because it’s an American holiday tradition. A red and white mirage of striped candy canes and crimson-painted nutcrackers, encapsulating the audience’s attention, creating an almost impossible display of beauty. The talent and difficulty of such performances commonly go underlooked. Such performances demonstrate the true purpose of ballet.