The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is performed by Etoile Production - a Ukrainian company organized in Kyiv by soloists Irina and Anatoly Khandazhevsky from Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theatre. The choreography follows Marius Petipa's classical version of Tchaikovsky's ballet from 1892.

The performance is accompanied live by a string quartet performing on stage during key scenes, combined with a recording of the Kharkiv Opera Orchestra. The costumes are handmade professional ballet attire, and the production has its own theatre lighting designer.

The ballet soloists are Irina Khandazhevskaya (prima ballerina, Honored Artist of Ukraine, winner of the International Ballet Competition "Premio Roma", awarded the "P. Virsky Prize" in the choreography category in 2007), Anatoly Khandazhevsky (second prize winner at an international competition in Tallinn), and Maria Shupilova, soloist at Kyiv Opera.

Before visiting with children, E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and The Rat King are recommended as preparatory reading. A libretto with descriptions of each scene is available at https://www.kulturforfolket.com/performance/the-nutcracker.