Tchaikovsky premiered the suite of eight pieces he selected from the complete Nutcracker Ballet and premiered the Suite in March 1892. The Ballet premiered in December 1892. The Suite became instantly popular, with almost every number encored at its premiere, while the complete ballet did not begin to achieve its great popularity until after the George Balanchine staging became a hit in New York City in the 1960s. Major American ballet companies generate about 40% of their annual ticket revenues from performances of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. The Romantic Period music contains many memorable melodies: The Russian dance (Trepak), Waltz of the Flowers and March, and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. (Ballet action scene summary is inside the case)

Act I, Scene 1: Family and friends have gathered in the Stahlbaum Home parlor to decorate the Christmas tree before a party. When the tree is finished, the children admire its sparkling candles and decorations.
The party begins with a march. The children receive presents. Suddenly, as the owl-topped grandmother clock strikes eight, Drosselmeyer, a local councilman, magician and Clara's godfather enters. A talented toymaker, he brings the children gifts, including four lifelike dolls who dance to the delight of all before being put away for safekeeping. Clara [AKA “Marie” in some versions] and Fritz are sad to see the dolls taken away, but Drosselmeyer has another toy for them: a wooden nutcracker carved in the shape of a little man. The other children ignore it, but Clara likes it immediately. Fritz accidentally breaks it. Clara is heartbroken.
After everyone has gone to bed, Clara returns to the parlor to check on her beloved nutcracker. As she reaches the little bed, the clock strikes midnight and she sees Drosselmeyer perched atop it. Suddenly, mice begin to fill the room and the Christmas tree grows to dizzying heights. The nutcracker grows to life size. Clara finds herself in the midst of a battle between a gingerbread soldier army and the mice, led by their king. They begin to eat the soldiers. The nutcracker appears to lead the soldiers, joined by tin soldiers and dolls serving as doctors to carry away the wounded. As the Mouse King advances on the wounded nutcracker, Clara throws her slipper at him, distracting him long enough for the nutcracker to stab him.
Scene 2: A Pine Forest. The mice retreat and the nutcracker is transformed into a handsome Prince. He leads Clara through the moonlit night to a pine forest in which snowflakes dance around them, beckoning them on to his kingdom as the first act ends.

Act II. The Land of Sweets. Clara and the Prince travel to the beautiful Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy until his return. He recounts how he was transformed back into his own self and how Clara saved him from the Mouse King. In honor of the young heroine, a celebration of sweets from around the world is produced: chocolate (Spain), coffee (Arabia), tea (China), and candy canes (Russia) dance for their amusement; Danish shepherdesses perform on reed flutes; the Polichinelles [clowns], Mother Ginger’s children, emerge from under her hoop skirt to dance; beautiful flowers perform a waltz. To conclude the night, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier dance.
All the sweets perform a final waltz, after which the Sugar Plum Fairy ushers Clara and the Prince down from their throne. He bows to her, she kisses Clara goodbye, and leads them to a reindeer drawn sleigh. They depart waving goodbye and all the subjects wave back.