San Francisco Opera House December 5-28, 2025
On Christmas Eve 1944, San Francisco Ballet made history with the American premiere of Nutcracker, launching a national holiday tradition that continues to enchant audiences today.
The Nutcracker was first performed in 1892 in St. Petersburg, with the iconic score by Tchaikovsky, based on Hoffmann’s fairy tale. Although its premiere received mixed reviews, Tchaikovsky’s music was admired, and the ballet eventually gained enormous popularity—especially after major U.S. productions in the 1940s and 1950s, including George Balanchine’s influential 1954 staging.
The Nutcracker’s holiday themes, imaginative staging, and the seasonal magic—winter, childhood wonder, toys coming to life—fit perfectly with Christmas festivities. The music helped make it a cherished seasonal tradition worldwide and continues to inspire generations of dancers and audiences with countless traditional and modern…
