Parents and kids can explore together the characters from Balanchine’s ballet The Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker begins as a wooden toy gifted to young Marie by her godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer. At midnight, the doll magically comes to life, leading toy soldiers to defeat the villainous Mouse King in a dramatic battle. Upon his victory, he transforms into a heroic Little Prince and escorts Marie on an enchanting journey to the Land of Sweets.
Marie
Marie is the young, imaginative heroine who receives a wooden Nutcracker doll from her godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, on Christmas Eve. When she sneaks downstairs at midnight, she witnesses a magical battle and courageously saves the Nutcracker’s life by throwing her slipper to distract the Mouse King. As a reward for her bravery, she is crowned a princess and whisked away by her transformed Prince on an enchanting journey to the Land of Sweets.
Herr Drosselmeyer
Herr Drosselmeyer is Marie’s mysterious, eccentric godfather and a magical clockmaker who serves as the architect of the ballet’s wonder. On Christmas Eve, he arrives at the party with lifelike mechanical dolls and gifts Marie the enchanted Nutcracker. At midnight, his mysterious powers orchestrate the room’s transformation, growing the Christmas tree to a massive size and setting the magical battle in motion to guide Marie and the Prince on their journey.
Herr Drosselmeyer’s Nephew
Herr Drosselmeyer’s Nephew (also known as the Nutcracker Prince) is a polite, well-mannered boy introduced during the Christmas Eve party. At midnight, it is revealed that he was trapped under a spell as the wooden Nutcracker; after Marie helps him defeat the Mouse King, the curse breaks, restoring him to his true form as a Little Prince.
Fritz, Marie’s Brother
Fritz is Marie’s mischievous, high-energy younger brother who embodies the playful chaos of childhood. During the Christmas Eve party, he causes trouble by marching loudly with his toy drum and teasing the girls. His most pivotal moment occurs when he grows jealous of Marie’s new gift and boisterously breaks the Nutcracker doll’s jaw, setting the stage for Herr Drosselmeyer to step in and bind the toy with a handkerchief.
Harlequin & Columbine
In George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Harlequin and Columbine are magical clockwork dolls brought to the Christmas party by Herr Drosselmeyer. Emerging from their gift boxes, they come to life and entertain the guests with a lively dance.
Inspired by traditional Commedia dell’Arte characters, Harlequin wears his colorful diamond-patterned costume and mask, while Columbine appears in a delicate coordinating ballet costume. Their movements are quick, precise, playful, and mechanical, reminding us that they are wind-up toys. When their imaginary gears begin to run down, they freeze until Drosselmeyer brings them back to life.
The Toy Soldier
Toy Soldier is a life-sized mechanical wind-up doll brought to the Christmas Eve party by Herr Drosselmeyer. Danced by an adult soloist, this character delights the guests with a dazzling, energetic solo defined by incredibly sharp, rigid, and precise military movements. After performing, the character is packed away, serves as a grand theatrical highlight of the opening scene, and foreshadows the army of toy soldiers that later comes to life at midnight to battle the mice.
The Toy Soldiers
The Toy Soldiers make up the brave miniature army that comes to life at the stroke of midnight to defend Marie’s parlor. Danced by young students from the School of American Ballet, they wear iconic, bright red uniforms and tall hats. Led by the Nutcracker, they march with sharp, synchronized precision, fire a miniature cannon, and wage a chaotic, theatrical battle against the villainous Mouse King and his army of mice.
The Mouse King
The Mouse King is the comic yet menacing villain of the ballet who leads an army of mice to invade Marie’s parlor at midnight. Despite his fearsome appearance, his grand battle with the Toy Soldiers ends in a dramatic and humorous defeat when Marie distracts him with her slipper, allowing the Nutcracker to deal the final blow. (Note: In Balanchine’s ballet Mouse King has 7-heads)
The Mice Army
The Mice make up the scurrying, disruptive army that invades Marie’s parlor at midnight under the command of the Mouse King. Danced entirely by young students, they wear fuzzy gray costumes with long tails. They bring a sense of playful chaos to the stage as they scurry around the growing Christmas tree, steal leftover party treats, and clash with the Toy Soldiers in a theatrical battle.
Snowflakes
In George Balanchine’s production, the Snowflakes (also known as the Waltz of the Snowflakes) close Act I with a breathtaking, fast-paced blizzard of motion. Danced by a corps de ballet of 16 adult women, they wear glittering white tutus and hold delicate white pom-poms that catch the light to simulate falling snow. They guide Marie and the Prince out of the forest and toward the Land of Sweets.
The Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree is one of the most magical symbols in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. Inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original story, it evokes a child’s dream of a magnificent Christmas tree filled with gold and silver decorations, sweets, candies, and glowing lights. At midnight, the tree begins to grow to an enormous size, marking the moment when Marie leaves the familiar world of the Christmas party and enters the magical world of her imagination.
