George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

Philadelphia Ballet brings The Nutcracker back to the Academy of Music this winter, with the first performance on December 4. It's the company's holiday cornerstone, and they're running it through December 31—35 performances in total, with times varying by date.

This is George Balanchine's version, which he created in 1955. It's the most widely performed Nutcracker in America, and it sticks to the original Petipa libretto and Tchaikovsky's 1892 score. What Balanchine added was his own theatrical flair and technical brilliance; he was called the 'Father of American Ballet' for the way he fused the training of the Imperial Ballet in Moscow with the dance styles of 1940s and '50s Broadway and cinema. That blend is what sets this version apart from the one you might have seen elsewhere.

The production is a huge company effort. On stage you'll see Philadelphia Ballet's Resident Company—more than 50 professional dancers—performing alongside 140 students from the School of Philadelphia Ballet. In total, that's a cast of more than 100. The music is played live by the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra.

There's a bit of local history behind the company, too. Philadelphia Ballet was founded in 1963 as the Pennsylvania Ballet by Barbara Weisberger, one of Balanchine's most devoted students. She insisted that before a company could even exist, 'first, a school,' which explains why the students have such a prominent role in the show every year. The Academy of Music, where it's performed, was modeled on Milan's La Scala and opened in 1857. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and remains the company's home. The run starts December 4 and goes through December 31, with 35 performances across those dates.