“The Nutcracker Suite opened in St. Petersburg on December 17, 1892. It is the tale of a girl named Clara who is given a nutcracker doll for Christmas by her godfather, Drosselmaier. That night she falls asleep and is disturbed by an attack of mice led by the Mouse King, who wishes to take her away to his kingdom. She is rescued by soldiers and the Nutcracker who, as a prince, takes her to his land, a country full of sugarplums and waltzing flowers. She awakens the next morning with only the nutcracker doll and memories of her Christmas adventure.” (The World Encyclopedia of Christmas)
Attending a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet is one of the traditions surrounding the Christmas Season for some people – especially those who like ballet. Tchaikovsky’s well-known musical score combined with talented dance performance makes this a sight to behold. This performance was danced by the Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement who have been doing this for twenty-eight years.
It was very exciting to be with all the parents, grandparents, children of all ages, and other guests in the lobby before the show. There were ballet dancers everywhere – on the Christmas trees, on the tables, and those waiting backstage to perform. Everything connected with dancing and ballet dancing was there, as well as what the performance was about – “The Nutcracker.” It was sheer magic. 
Many beautiful flower arrangements lovingly put together by some of the parents were being sold. They were out of this world. They were all different colors and as fine and delicately put together as any of the “fairies” in the ballet. I lingered for a long time in this space.
Aren’t these beautiful?
There was also a table with all kinds of wonderful cakes, cookies, and other goodies, that was absolutely spectacular. During the intermission, we had some treats and they were all very good – home-made. 
For a production of this spectacle and magic, there were hundreds of people involved. I admired all the hard work of the performers themselves and all those behind the scenes who gave unselfishly of their time and effort to bring this about. Some of the performers were very young children and there were those as part of the production who were in their 70’s. The Nutcracker Ballet is really a family affair for many people. It is one big party for those of us who like attending this sort of affair. It’s a Christmas party. There’s a big Christmas tree on the stage and the opening scene for the ballet is actually a Christmas party at which presents are given to the children. Like all good things, the show came to an end. The memory of this beautiful evening lingers in my memory and the joy of being in such hospitable and wonderful surroundings with all these beautiful people makes me feel truly blessed. I would have liked to stay a little longer in this world of fantasy with Clara and Fritz, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince, and all the other dancers – and the Nutcracker, of course.
Clara: This is all like a dream come true. The Land of the Dolls is so beautiful and everyone’s so kind. I’ve known some of you all my life. And to think we could all be together forever. Nutcracker: Then you’ll stay. (Clara hangs her head) Clara, what is it? Clara: Oh, I want to. I want to stay with you, I do. But… Nutcracker: But? But what? Clara: Oh, I don’t know, I’m so confused. It’s just, well, the Land of the Dolls is where you all belong. But I want to grow up. There’s a million things I want to do; people to meet, worlds to explore. I’ve always wanted to dance in the ballet. Nutcracker, I do love you, but I can’t stay in the Land of the Dolls forever. Hope you have some special, magical moments too, in your Christmas festivities. Enjoy the collages! Merry Christmas!
Notes: The first collage and the flower table include images taken at the performance. All the other collages comprise images that were taken in Christmas stores, and the like. To make my collages and blog post interesting and beautiful requires lots of images. I wish I had taken more pictures that evening.