[22/50] “Kay Mazzo uses space in a surprisingly large and generous way for such a delicate girl” — The Village Voice, 1969 Kay Mazzo in...

[21/50] [1/2] Maria Tallchief remembering Tanny's opening night performance as Dew Drop: "...I watched Tanny lead the ‘Waltz of the...

[20/50] Robert Maiorano, a former NYCB soloist was the first boy to play a soldier in Balanchine's Nutcracker in 1955 (before that it had...

[19/50] "Balanchine’s pas de deux is one of the greatest of all time, so elegant, so fluid. Dance on this level is intellect without...

[18/50] Maria Tallchief recalls watching Act 1 from the wings as she prepared to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy in Act 2: "Even from that...

[17/50] Suzanne Farrell on the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy: “She has all the authority. She is an elegant lady, beautiful and kind; and...

[16/50] "Victor Castelli was most impressive leading the Candy Canes, his brilliant jumps through the hoop in the coda being particularly...

[15/50] Of a 17-year-old Gelsey Kirkland, Clive Barnes wrote: “It is a special pleasure to see Miss Kirkland right now in the springtime...

[14/50] Beloved SAB teacher, Andrei (Krammy) Kramarevksy began performing the role of Drosselmeyer in 1978 (aged 49) and continued for 36...

[13/50] “Miss Verdy, all sweet French delicacy, is a charmer of a Sugar Plum” — Clive Barnes, New York Times, 1968 Violette Verdy and...

[11/50] Jacques was in Hollywood shooting Seven Brides for Seven Brothers when Balanchine choreographed the Nutcracker in 1954. He...

[12/50] In 1985, Jean-Pierre Frohlich recalled his early years in The Nutcracker to author Ellen Switzer: "When I danced the Nutcracker...

[10/50] Fun little fact... J.C. Penney's granddaughter went to SAB and was in the Nutcracker! Also, did you know J.C. Penney stands for...

[9/50] A review from the first season of Balanchine's The Nutcracker: “[Miss Adams] is not essentially a bravura dancer, and the Sugar...

[7/50] Allegra Kent on the first season of Balanchine's Nutcracker: "I was only a mouse and a shepherdess. I longed to be Dewdrop and do...

[8/50] Did someone say Paw de Deux? I have absolutely ZERO facts for you about this photo. I don't know why it exists. Does anyone else...

Suki Schorer remembers her experience with the should-sits in the Grand Pas de Deux: With Sugar Plum, Mr. B said, “Don’t get sweet.” I...

[4/50] “I loved Nutcracker, especially doing Dewdrop. I felt that was really dancing, even more than when I did the Sugar Plum Fairy.”...

[5/50] “I was cast to dance the role of the Candy Cane when the ballet premiered in New York. Jumping through that damn hoop at breakneck...

[2/50] In 1964, NYCB scaled up the production to fit the New York State Theater. “When we first lit it at the State Theater we had a call...