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The Nutcracker ballet is based on Alexander Dumas' version of the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Tchaikovsky's musical production premiered on 18 December 1892 in St. Petersburg under the choreography of Lev Ivanov and thrilled both children and adults.

The focus is on Mary. On Christmas Eve she receives a nutcracker from her godfather Drosselmeyer. When she falls asleep, she dreams of a battle of the soldiers led by the Nutcracker against the army of the Mouse King. With her help, the Nutcracker wins and then becomes a prince. The prince travels with Mary to the Kingdom of Delight. He travels through the fir forest to Jamberg Castle, where the inhabitants and the Sugar Plum Fairy throw a party in honour of their guests. In addition to the grandiose stage design by the brilliant director Vyacheslav Okunev, who works for the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and La Scala in Milan, and their magnificent costumes, the boundless elegance and carefree lightness of the International Festival Ballet ensemble offer a dreamlike, fairy-tale version of a classic ballet that continues to fascinate after more than 100 years. 

International Festival Ballet

Artistic director Alex Bogutsky

International Festival Ballet was created in 2009 to represent the best traditions and spirit of the classical ballet.

The International Festival Ballet is an international ballet that thinks beyond national borders, unites dancers of 20 different nationalities and represents understanding and coexistence in the poetry of art, music and dance. Since the beginning of the war, the artists have expressed their position against the Russian aggression by numerous protest actions before each of their performances. Therefore, they are now also threatened by Russia. The team, which also includes a large number of Ukrainian dancers, naturally sees itself as a ballet of peace and cohesion between all people.

Artistically, the ballet represents the Russian school of classical ballet in its purest form. Rigorous elegance combined with modern and 21st century influences, that is to say, a high-class dance performance – all this combined with splendid costumes and sumptuous sets.

Classical ballet has a long tradition in Ost Europe, which is still celebrated today and has produced many renowned prima ballerinas, dancers and choreographers. The renowned Russian ballet schools are known for their high standards and rigor, and the students for their drive to perform, their ambition and their enormous talent. The 42 dancers of the International Festival Ballet have also passed through this tough school, be it the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, the Moscow Academy of Choreography, State Academy of Choreography Kiew,  the Ufa Ballet School or the Perm Ballet Academy. They have all worked in the main ballet theaters of Russia, Ukraine and Moldova and have won numerous prizes at international ballet festivals and competitions. Together, they have become one of the most aesthetically and technically successful ballet companies not only in Ost Europe, but also in the world as part of the International Festival Ballet. In addition to absolutely precise dance technique, this high-level ballet is distinguished by a harmonious and consistent overall image and elegant lightness. The International Festival Ballet shines with a perfect dance performance which takes the audience's breath away.

FESTIVAL SYMPHONIKER ORCHESTRA

Artistic Director & Conductor Normunds Vaicis

The Festival Symphoniker was founded by talented musicians from Moldova, Hungary, Ukraine and Latvia. The artistic director and principal conductor is a renowned conductor, Maestro Normunds Vaicis. The orchestra's repertoire includes works by Ravel, Debussy, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Massenet, Faure and Albegis, Gounod and many others. Music from classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote and many others is central to the repertoire. The orchestra has collaborated with renowned ballet ensembles from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. The Festival Orchestra has performed with great success in France, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and other European countries and, despite its relatively small size, has established itself as one of the best ballet orchestras in Europe. In the near future they will perform classical ballet seasons for the renowned International Festival Ballet company in Baltic countries, Czech Republic, Scandinavia, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria.