Transcript File - Mrs. Burrows` Sixth Grade Class

By Christopher Howard
The Nutcracker, a ballet (1892) by Russian
composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Based
on Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the King
of the Mice, it depicts the dream of a young
girl during which her nutcracker turns into
a handsome prince who leads her to the
magical realm of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Though the story is particularly popular
with children, the music and choreography
have universal and lasting appeal.
A competent administrator, Wsevolojskoy
ran the Imperial Theatres with a
determination for excellence. In 1886,
Wsevolojskoy initiated two major reforms
for the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres,
namely the relocation of the Imperial Ballet
and Opera from the Bolshoi Kamenny
Theatre (deemed unsafe by 1886) to the
Mariinsky Theatre, and the abolition of the
post of First Imperial Ballet Composer, a
post previously held by such composers as
Léon Minkus and Cesare Pugni.
Stylistic variations have emerged and
evolved since the Italian Renaissance.
Early variations are primarily associated
with geographic origin. Examples of this
are Russian ballet, French ballet, and
Italian ballet. Later variations include
contemporary ballet and neoclassical
ballet. Perhaps the most widely known and
performed ballet style is late Romantic
ballet (or Ballet Blanc), which is a classical
style that focuses on female dancers and
features pointe work, flowing and precise
acrobatic movements, and often presents
the female dancers in traditional, short
white French tutus.