(49/50) Jacques d'Amboise and Allegra Kent (visible in the back, Paul Mejia as the Prince). Photo by Fred Fehl, 1961. Harry Ransom Center

(48/50) Melissa Hayden. Photo by Martha Swope, 1964.

(47/50) Kay Mazzo and Sean Lavery. Photo by Martha Swope, 1977.

(46/50) Sheryl Ware as lead Marzipan. Elise Ingalls and Lisa de Ribére. Photo by Martha Swope, 1977.

(44/50) Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride dancing the Nutcracker pas de deux as newlyweds. These photos were taken in December...

(45/50) The Sugar Plum Fairy will welcome the Prince and Marie to the Land of Sweets just 5 more times this season… (top left) Photo by...

(41/50) Edward Bigelow, the original Mother Ginger in 1954 and the Polichinelles. Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1954. LIFE Magazine Archive.

(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....