(42/50) If my math is correct, this would be Darci Kistler's Sugar Plum debut at age 16! With Ib Andersen. Photos by Fred Fehl, 1980....

(40/50) “At the time, the ballet was rehearsed by Janet Reed; she was wonderful. She made everything so clear and so much fun at the same...

(37/50) Maria Tallchief on the preparation for the first Nutcracker: “As usual, he created the pas de deux for André and me with a...

(35/50) Violette Verdy and Jonathan Watts. Photos by Fred Fehl, 1959. Harry Ransom Center. (36/50) Violette and Conrad Ludlow. Photos by...

(34/50) Peter Martins warming up on stage, photo by Martha Swope.

(32/50) "Upon this costume of so little visible substance, Karinska dripped rhinestone dewdrops around the neck and hip. And with the...

(33/50) A little something different…an excerpt of Jacques d’Amboise and Melissa Hayden dancing to the Snow Pas de Deux on the Bell...

(31/50) Gelsey Kirkland & Helgi Tomasson. Photos by Martha Swope, 1974.

(29/50) These pictures were taken almost 70 years ago but they look like that could have been taken yesterday! Not much has changed in...

(30/50) Sara Leland, Carol Sumner & Suki Schorer in Marzipan. Photo by Fred Fehl, 1960. Harry Ransom Center

(27/50) Patricia McBride and Edward Villella in the Nutcracker Pas de Deux. This was filmed in the August of 1969 at Jacob's Pillow. Stay...

(26/50) I’m very inspired by all the family legacies in this company. I was able to find at least 10 instances of dancers whose children...

(25/50) Diana Adams in the 1958 CBS television taping of Nutcracker. 1-2. Diana Adams. Photos by Fred Fehl, 1958. Harry Ransom Center. 3....

(23/25) These are photos from rehearsals for the 1958 CBS TV taping of the Nutcracker. As you can see here, Mr. B played Drosselmeyer. In...

(22/50) Herbert Bliss, original Hot Chocolate lead Photos by Radford Bascome, 1954. NYPL.

(20/50) "In 1958, Balanchine removed the grand pas de deux, substituting for it a dance for the Sugar Plum Fairy supported not by a...

(18/50) A very young Gelsey Kirkland as an angel, a party child, and a Polichinelle! (top Upstage center. Fred Fehl, 1963. Upstage, last...

(17/50) Paul Mejia in his third year as the Nutcracker Prince. I shared these photos with Maria Terezia Balogh and Paul last night at...

(16/50) Suzanne: "Mr. Balanchine treated all human beings with respect, including children. He never talked down to them, or for that...

(15/50) Shout-out to the Hoops in the second picture for a clean sous-sus! Deni Lamont and SAB students. Photos by Fred Fehl, 1959. Harry...