For many fans of ballet, The Nutcracker is the first production that made them fall in love with the world of dance.

Considering the scope and prodigiousness of the show it is easy to see why. Lavishly presented by the Alberta Ballet, scenery and costume designer Zack Brown pulls no punches in creating a world on stage that is magical, majestic and at once entrancing. From the gorgeous gown of the Sugar Plum Fairy, to the strikingly anthropomorphised wolves and mice, the dancer’s costuming in The Nutcracker will leave you in awe. But it is the dancers doing what they do best that will be sure to leave you in amazement.

From the realistically mouse-like movements of The Nutcracker’s youngest performers, to the grace and athleticism of its principals, the dancing itself remains centre stage. In the title role of The Nutcracker, dancer Yukichi Hattori thrills the audience with his remarkable talent which includes leaping so high one might almost be forgiven for mistaking him for an Olympic high jumper. Now in his eighth season with the Alberta Ballet, Hattori’s skills have taken him from Japan to Germany to Canada, impressing audiences around the world at every stop along the way.

For those not yet anointed into the world of professional ballet, The Nutcracker is the perfect introduction. With its easy to follow storyline, magnificent staging and the exultant music of Tchaikovsky sure to keep your feet tapping along in time, The Nutcracker is guaranteed to transform any neophyte into a fan for life. For those among you who are already ballet enthusiasts, it is a wonderful production to remind you exactly what it is that first made you fall in love with dance.