For the anniversary of the premiere of 'The Nutcracker,' a scene of the Moscow Ballet performing the popular dance
© Tytus Zmijewski/Epa/Shutterstoc
A holiday tradition is born. A hit ballet, long after its debut
Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘The Nutcracker’ is now an iconic holiday entertainment staple, performed by many companies around the world, including the Moscow Ballet, seen in our photo today. But when ‘The Nutcracker’ debuted this day in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia, it was not a hit. It was revived and restaged in the early 20th century, but still didn’t make an impact. Then in 1954, choreographer George Balanchine staged the show with the New York City Ballet. His version caught on and inspired other dance companies to stage their own. It’s often such a draw that a staging of Tchaikovsky’s Christmas fantasy can help keep a ballet company financially stable.
Related Images
A Komondor competes in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City
Black-crested titmouse in Texas Hill Country
Ice-fishing village near L'Anse-Saint-Jean, Quebec, Canada
Performers at the International Festival of the Masquerade Games in Pernik, Bulgaria
Aerial view of central Oxford, England
Siberian Snowkiting Cup in Novosibirsk, Russia
Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival, which begins today
For Science Fiction Day, inventor Nikola Tesla and his ‘magnifying transmitter’
Bing Today Images
Eurasian red squirrel in Northumberland, England
Dec 17, 2025
Bohemian waxwings perched on a branch, Canada
Dec 17, 2023
Mountain goats, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Dec 17, 2022
Iron Hill, Town of Brome Lake, Quebec, Canada
Dec 17, 2021
A snowflake
Dec 17, 2017
