Young talents present classic Christmas ballet

Is it really the Christmas period without a performance of a beloved festive fairy tale? For years, decades and centuries even, The Nutcracker has been performed worldwide in theatre halls, bringing Tchaikovsky’s most famous ballet to audiences of all ages. This December, it returns to Nicosia as well with the island’s young dancers and musicians bringing it to life on stage.

The Lefkosia Youth Ballet and the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra join forces again to present The Nutcracker. The fairy-tale ballet, as it was promoted to the St. Petersburg audiences prior to its premiere in 1892, will gather dance and music lovers at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre on December 21, 22 and 23.

The performances are timely as the ballet’s storyline begins on December 24 at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child’s imagination. Its plot is loosely based on ETA Hoffmann’s fantasy story titled The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, which follows a girl who befriends a nutcracker who stands by her Christmas tree that comes to life on Christmas Eve and battles against the evil Mouse King.

Young dancers from the Lefkosia Youth Ballet will bring the adventures of Clara, the Sugar Plum Fairy and all of the other characters to the stage, performing alongside the musicians of the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra who will, of course, perform live under the director of conductor Yiorgos Kountouris.

The Nutcracker

Ballet performance by the Lefkosia Youth Ballet and the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra. December 21-23. Nicosia Municipal Theatre, Nicosia. 7pm. Tickets from €20. www.ticketmaster.cy. Tel:  7777-7040