Popular ballet 'The Nutcracker' is coming to Dubai this year

The festive show will be performed by the St-Petersburg Tchaikovsky Ballet Theatre

'The Nutcracker' will come to Dubai Opera this December. Courtesy Dubai Opera

The Sugar Plum Fairy and all her friends will visit the UAE this year, for a limited run of The Nutcracker at Dubai Opera.

The Downtown venue will host the renowned ballet between December 4 and 7, with St-Petersburg Tchaikovsky Ballet Theatre putting its spin on the Tchaikovsky-scored classic.

The two-act ballet, created by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, was first performed in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia's St Petersburg. It has since gone on to become one of the world's most popular dance shows, performed by myriad ballet companies around the world, particularly around the festive period.

The tale focuses around a young girl called Clara, whose wooden nutcracker doll comes to life on Christmas Eve. The toy battles the villainous Mouse King before turning into a prince, and then leading Clara to his magical land, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy in his absence.

"The festive season never truly begins until The Nutcracker opens," said Dubai Opera's chief executive, Jasper Hope. "I am delighted we're able to announce this family-friendly ballet for audiences in Dubai to enjoy the fabulous music of Tchaikovsky and the beauty of live ballet."

The St-Petersburg Tchaikovsky Ballet Theatre, which consists of 53 professional dancers, has performed at venues across the world since being founded in 2014.

Tickets for The Nutcracker at Dubai Opera start from Dh250, and are on early-bird sale with a 20 per cent discount until April 14. For more information, visit www.dubaiopera.com.