The Nutcracker in Basel. International Festival Ballet & Festival Orchestra 10 December 2026
Enchanting Russian ballet for young and old alike. A masterpiece of art with live orchestral accompaniment. The ballet “The Nutcracker” is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s fairy tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” adapted by Alexandre Dumas. The premiere of Tchaikovsky’s musical version took place in St. Petersburg on December 18, 1892, with choreography by Lev Ivanov, and was met with enthusiasm by both children and adults.
The art of classical ballet is often highly praised by critics around the world. But, as the saying goes, “It’s better to see it once than to hear about it a hundred times.” Experience the beautiful ballet *The Nutcracker*, accompanied by the International Festival Ballet and the Hungarian Festival Orchestra.
Marie takes center stage. On Christmas Eve, she receives a nutcracker as a gift from her godfather, Drosselmeyer. When she falls asleep, she dreams of a battle between toy soldiers led by the Nutcracker and the Mouse King’s army. With her help, the Nutcracker emerges victorious and transforms into a prince. Together with Marie, the prince sets off for the Kingdom of Sweets. The journey takes them through a fir forest to Zuckerburg Castle, where the Sugar Plum Fairy throws a celebration in honor of her guests. In addition, the magnificent sets by the brilliant set designer Vyacheslav Okunev—who worked at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and La Scala in Milan—along with the beautiful costumes, as well as the boundless elegance and carefree lightness of the International Festival Ballet ensemble, all combine to create a fairy-tale version of this classical ballet, which continues to enchant audiences even more than 100 years later.
The International Festival Ballet is a world-class ensemble whose rigorous classical elegance, fresh 21st-century spirit, and flawless dance performance have captivated audiences around the world. The company consists of 42 dancers. All dancers are graduates of Russia’s top ballet schools, such as the Vaganova Academy of Dance in St. Petersburg, the Kyiv State Choreographic Academy, the Moscow Academy of Choreography, the Ufa Ballet School, and the Perm Academy of Ballet. The ensemble has also collaborated with leading ballet theaters and won numerous prizes and awards at international ballet festivals and competitions. The 42 dancers of the “International Festival Ballet” comprise one of the most beautiful and powerful ballet companies, as well as one of the most famous in the world.