The Nutcracker with Classical Ukrainian Etoile Ballet

The world-famous ballet The Nutcracker, performed by Ukrainian ballet stars, is a magical Christmas gift for the whole family!

A beautiful tale of young Clara's adventures with the Nutcracker, full of exciting stories, was transformed in 1892 by Pyotr Tchaikovsky into the world's most popular classical ballet. Today, The Nutcracker has become a global Christmas tradition, with this performance staged annually in theaters and opera houses around the world.

The universal language of dance is understandable without translation for all audiences – the stage will present the story of a young girl’s delicate dream, the battle between good and evil, where love triumphs.

Dancing snowflakes, the Nutcracker, toy soldiers, and the Sugar Plum Fairy come to life in this magical family classic. Experience a fantastic adventure with a little girl named Clara as she falls asleep on Christmas Eve. She meets her prince, faces a battle between giant mice and rats, and is whisked away to the delightful Land of Sweets. The story is much more than just a Christmas tale. It is a story of growing up, which is also reflected in the dance.

Now is the time to immerse yourself in this magical world, forget your worries and stress, recall childhood dreams, and fill your soul with inspiration, warmth, and new dreams.

The ballet The Nutcracker is ideal as the first ballet experience for children. Moreover, in addition to enchanting young spectators, this ballet will also offer adult ballet lovers a sense of wonder and beauty, filling everyone with the Christmas spirit!

The production of the classical choreography by Marius Petipa is performed by Classical Ukrainian Etoile Ballet – a company organized in Kyiv by soloists Irina and Anatoliy Khandazhevsky from the Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theater in Ukraine. The artists include professional ballet dancers – winners of international ballet competitions, honored artists of Ukraine, soloists from Ukrainian and, since February 2022, European theaters.

The performance involves artists of the highest level, and the company uses authentic, handmade theater costumes and sets in its productions. A professional theater lighting designer accompanies the ballet performance, creating an unforgettable atmosphere during the show. The music is rendered in a high-quality recording by the Kharkiv Opera Orchestra. This is a unique opportunity to see genuine classical ballet at the highest level performed by stars from the world's ballet stages!

Ballet Soloists:
Irina Khandazhevskaya, Prima Ballerina, Honored Artist of Ukraine, soloist at the Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theater, choreographer, diploma winner of the international ballet competition "Premio Roma." Honorary award "People's Recognition 2010" in the artist nomination. Awarded the "P. Virsky Prize" in choreography nomination 2007. @irinakhandazhevskaya

Anatoliy Khandazhevsky, soloist at the Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theater (Ukraine), choreographer, second prize winner at an international competition in Tallinn. @anatoliikhandazhevskii

Maria Shupilova, soloist at Kyiv Opera. @shupilova_maria

Kristina Kadashevich, leading soloist at the Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theater, winner of international ballet competitions.
Katerina Andrenko, soloist at Odessa National Opera, Hamburg Kammerballett, Opera Poznan.@andrenko_kate

Dmitry Lazovik, soloist at Belarusian State Academic Musical Theatre, winner of international ballet competitions.

Vsevolod Maievskyi, soloist at English National Ballet, Ukrainian-born former dancer at Mariinsky Ballet. @vsevolod_maievskyi

Larisa Hrytsay, soloist at the Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theater (Ukraine), soloist at Odessa National Opera. @lorikeets89

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Audience Reviews:

Birgitta: A fantastic break from everyday life! Beautiful costumes, skillful dance, beautiful music – it took me into a dream world for a while.
Ami: Wonderful! The Grand Pas de Deux was so beautiful I started crying!
Ingrid: Amazing dance and music, and beautiful costumes!
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The tour is presented by the Norwegian organization Kultur for Folket to support Ukrainian classical ballet art and Ukrainian artists who do not have the opportunity to perform in their homeland. The tour takes place in November and December in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. More information is available at https://www.kulturforfolket.com.

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Good to know before your visit:

Age limit: none.
Bag ban: applies to events in Stage 1 and Stage 2, read more here.
Wardrobe: is mandatory for bag and jacket. The cloakroom is located adjacent to the stage for the event and the fee is included in your ticket.
Admission: approx. 30 minutes before the event starts.
Eating: Food and drink are not allowed to be brought into our stages.
Hearing aids: available in all our scenes, read more here.
Walker: placed outside the entrance, staff on site are available if you need help.
Lift: located at stairwell B, left side.
Wheelchair spaces: All wheelchair spaces are accessible via lift, stairwell B, left side. Due to evacuation regulations, a wheelchair ticket must be presented by a wheelchair user for entry to events in Stage 1 or Stage 2. Tickets cannot be repurchased in the event of an incorrect purchase, read more here.

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Craving for a lovely mingling before the show?

Before the show, The Wood Hotel by Elite serves drinks and light snacks in the South foyer.
Serving opens 45 minutes before the event starts.

Welcome!