Project: The Nutcracker

"The Nutcracker" is well loved by many and is perhaps best known as the inspiration for the a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. You may or may not have seen the ballet which is now produced by many ballet companies worldwide, but you would without doubt have heard of the "Nutcracker Suite" composed in 1892 by Pyotr Ilyich (Peter) Tchaikovsky (1840-1893).

Before your time? Well you surely have heard of "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms", a fantasy adventure film recently released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

"The Story of a Nutcracker" by Alexandre Dumas in 1844, was an adaption from "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" written in 1816 by Prussian born author E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822).

The unabridged version I own, is simply called "The Nutcracker" and was published by Templar Publishing in 2016. It is beautifully illustrated by Australian graphic designer, illustrator and writer, Robert Ingpen.

Robert's astonishing creative vision has breathed life into more than one hundred books and delighted countless children around the world throughout his remarkable career as an illustrator.

For his "lasting contribution" as a children's illustrator, he received the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1986.

His alluring illustrations have also been the inspiration for a number of my creative endeavours over the years, and in particular, for the five character dolls which I'm currently working on.

Marie: the eldest child of Dr and Mrs Stahlbaum. She is delighted with the shiny wooden Nutcracker doll that her Godfather Drosselmeyer has given her on Christmas Eve. However, once night time falls she finds herself in the middle of an adventure! Saving her doll from the evil Mouse King, Clara then travels to magical new lands.

Mamzell Clara: Marie's new doll which she received for Christmas.

Nutcracker Prince: the nephew of Drosselmeyer who was turned into the Nutcracker by …

Mistress Mousie:  mother of the seven headed Mouse King who leads an army of mice who secretly live in the Stahlbaum’s house.

A Princess: from the Marzipan Palace in the town of Candyburg.

Of course, as I am dressing dolls, I will use a touch of "artistic license" to achieve my own versions of the characters.

Both the story and music has become a wonderful part of our Christmas tradition and I would love to know if or how "The Nutcracker" is part of yours.
Big hugs,
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