Performed by National Ballet of China
Managing Director: ZHU Yan
Rehearsal Team: YU Bo, CAO Shuci, YU Yang, LIU Qi
Starring Cast: ZHAO Xinyue, GUAN Chongzheng, CHANG Sinuo, ZHOU Yue, and others
Presenter: National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: ZHANG Yi
Concertmaster: WANG Xiaomao
Set Designer: Department of Fine Arts of the National Ballet of China
Guest Ballet Ensemble: National Ballet of China Yilei
Guest Children’s Choir: Asia Philharmonic Orchestra Children’s Choir
The Chinese New Year is approaching and children are enjoying themselves in a festive atmosphere. On the New Year’s Eve, a foreigner visits Tuantuan and Yuanyuan’s grandfather, celebrating the Spring Festival together with them. The foreigner gives a nutcracker to lovely Yuanyuan as a New Year present, and Tuantuan, feeling a bit jealous, wants this amazing gift, too. At nightfall, Yuanyuan returns alone to her bedroom and soon falls asleep with the nutcracker in her arms. As reality and dreams appear alternately, Tuantuan and the monster Nian become one somehow. Like a practical joke, they steal the nutcracker away, but the nutcracker takes the shape of man and fights against the monster Nian. The Queen Crane, who just exists in the dreams, turns up and kills the monster. Yuanyuan begs the Queen to turn her into a beautiful crane so that she can fly to the fantastic Kingdom of Porcelain with her beloved nutcracker.
Yuanyuan arrives in the wondrous Kingdom of Porcelain, where she sees everything seductive and dazzling, feeling as if she were just in a celebration full of Chinese elements. The Kingdom of Porcelain is even more than what its name implies in the presence of cloisonné. A group of little men, who are actually firecrackers that can be set off to celebrate the New Year, begin to lift Yuanyuan slowly, but they suddenly vanish. It turns out that Tuantuan is waking Yuanyuan from her dream. Back in reality, Yuanyuan still holds the nutcracker tightly in her hand, afraid Tuantuan may go off with it again. As the New Year’s bell is to ring, Yuanyuan, feeling as if being cut off from the outside world for ages, becomes aware that everything is just a dream. Filled with regret, she gives the nutcracker to Tuantuan. At the very moment, there come sounds of firecrackers, spreading happiness to everyone in a festive atmosphere.
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