Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker – A ballet by John Neumeier (Hamburg State Opera, December 2025, Choreography: Neumeier)

John Neumeier’s “The Nutcracker” tells the story of first love and the discovery of dance. For her twelfth birthday, Marie receives a nutcracker and a pair of pointe shoes. In a dream, the ballet master Drosselmeyer leads her behind the scenes of the theater, where she becomes a dancer herself. Set to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s music, Neumeier also creates a tribute to Marius Petipa and the tradition of classical ballet. The set and costumes are by Jürgen Rose. In the performance of the Hamburg Ballet recorded at the Hamburg State Opera in December 2025, Olivia Betteridge dances Marie, and Alessandro Frola plays Drosselmeyer. Ida Praetorius appears as Marie’s sister Louise, Alexandr Trusch as Günther, and Louis Musin as Fritz. The Hamburg State Philharmonic Orchestra performs under Simon Hewett. The recording will be released on DVD and Blu-ray.