The Sugar Plum Fairy floats across the stage into the arms of the Prince. The dancers do a pas de deux, plié and tour jeté. The words have no meaning for the enthralled viewers, who know only that their hearts are touched by the magical ballet and music of “The Nutcracker.”

When the final curtain drops, parents, grandparents, siblings, relatives and friends are on their feet, cheering enthusiastically and clutching bouquets of roses to present to the stars. And every child is a star.

In November and December of any given year, this most popular and most performed ballet will have more than 300 performances nationwide, by ensembles ranging from professional companies to local dance schools. For many, the dreamlike story hails the beginning of Christmas more than Christmas lighting or a Santa Claus parade.

The northshore has its own long-standing Nutcracker traditions. Nearly 400 northshore children meet the demands of rigorous training schedules in order to participate in presentations by three local companies: Apetrei Ballet of Mandeville, the Hammond Ballet Company, and the Delta Festival Ballet.

The story

“The Nutcracker” tells the story of a 19th century Christmas Eve party at the Stahlbaum house. Fritz and Clara, the children, are excited and thrilled when Herr Drosselmeyer, their godfather, arrives with exotic presents and toys. He gives Clara a nutcracker. This makes Fritz jealous and, in a brotherly snit, he breaks the nutcracker. The party ends and the visitors go home. During the night, Clara sneaks back into the living room to look for her broken nutcracker. She falls asleep and mystical things happen: the Christmas tree grows and expands until it touches the ceiling; the room is overrun with mice led by a Mouse King; the Nutcracker comes to life and engages in a battle with the mice. Victorious, the Nutcracker turns into a Prince. He takes Clara on a journey through the land of shimmering snowflakes and enchanted forests. On their trip, they meet dancers from all over the world: waltzing flowers, swirling snowflakes and Chinese dragons. The climax comes when the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince dance and Clara awakens.

The history

The ballet is based on “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” a book written by E.T.A. Hoffman. In 1891, eminent choreographer Marius Petipa commissioned Peter Tchaikovsky to write the music for the ballet. Petipa gave the composer detailed, minute-by-minute scenarios to work from, going so far as to indicate the tempo and the mood he wanted the music to create. Before the completion of the score, Petipa became ill. His assistant, Lev Ivanov, took over the choreographic duties and completed the ballet.

Knowledgeable critics state that what keeps the ballet alive year after year is the Tchaikovsky score. Tchaikovsky was working on an opera at the time, and wasn’t terribly enthusiastic about writing the music for “The Nutcracker,” the third and last of his ballet scores. (The other two were “Swan Lake” and “Sleeping Beauty.”) He died of cholera in 1892, a year after the first performance of “The Nutcracker,” which was held at the Maryinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, home of the Kirov Ballet.

“The Nutcracker” debuted in Europe in 1930 and came to America in 1940, brought by the San Francisco Ballet Company. Its enduring quality is evident in the fact that, 110 years after its creation, it retains an enthusiastic audience. For many children, the ballet is their first exposure to classic dance.

The experience

“The Nutcracker” is global. Whenever I’m away at Christmas, I buy a newspaper, find out the theater location, and attend the performance. For most audiences, Ivanov’s classic choreography is the best liked, but many themes and variations have taken place during the years.

Lafayette puts on a Cajun Nutcracker, complete with dancing alligators. At the University of Hawaii, I once saw a production where most of the opening act visitors wore sarongs, but, in order to keep the Russian touch, encased their hands in fur muffs. The beauty of the performance is that, though the visuals may change, the music - God’s audible prayer - remains the same.

Available now at your nearest toy store is the Nutcracker Barbie. Mattel Corporation underwrote last year’s London production. The favored color, according to reviewers, was “vibrant” pink. A Nutcracker video game is on the market where the ultimate goal, of course, is to kill the mice and capture the Mouse King.

The magic

As the dancing of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince reaches its climax, the dream world vanishes and Clara awakens at the foot of the Christmas tree. The exuberant audience reluctantly leaves the theater, having touched a higher plateau, raised to another strata. Maybe in these times of strife and turmoil, insecurity and fright, the innocence of the youngsters dancing, the gracefulness of the ballerinas, the sparkling costumes, and the incredible footwork are a welcome respite for souls in turmoil. Whether performed by a professional company, a regional art center, or a local dance school, a kernel of magic is always present in “The Nutcracker.”

Copyright 2003, M&L Publishing, all rights reserved.