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A ballerina with brown hair wears a gold tutu and tiara with gold arm cuffs. She looks over her shoulder in front of a red background.

The Nutcracker

30 November – 18 December 2024

In the Joan Sutherland Theatre

The Australian Ballet

Dance

Experience The Nutcracker’s magical ballet journey with Tchaikovsky’s melodies, dream realms, and festive wonders, a timeless holiday tradition for all ages to cherish.

The enchanting Christmas tale

Sir Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker is a magical production of the beloved festive ballet that remains faithful to the 19th-century original and will fill you with the Christmas spirit. Tchaikovsky’s last ballet score, with its famous motifs and melodies, draws us into the story of Clara, a young ballet student celebrating with her family on Christmas Eve. When the clock strikes twelve, we enter the dream realm, where Clara’s Nutcracker doll comes to life, taking her on a thrilling adventure where she encounters the Rat King before being whisked away to the Land of Sweets and into the arms of her Nutcracker Prince.

With the holidays around the corner, there’s no better way than The Nutcracker to rediscover the childlike joys of the season, or to create your own family tradition.

Presented by The Australian Ballet

A white male ballerina with brown hair wears a toy soldier's costume with red jacket, light beige pants and dark brown boots. He is mid-jump and is saluting.

The Nutcracker epitomises the absolute beauty of classical ballet. The score is so deeply rich and full of magic and beauty. It truly takes the dancer and audiences on a trip through the mystery and magic of Clara’s Christmas Eve dream. Personally, the grand pas de deux in The Nutcracker was always a favourite of mine to dance.

David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet

Artist information

Choreography
Lev Ivanov, Peter Wright, Vincent Redmon

Music
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Costume and set design
John F. Macfarlane

Original lighting design
David A. Finn

Lighting design
Jon Buswell

Plan your visit

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