Nothing says Christmas time like a performance of The Nutcracker, a traditional Christmastime classic. And of course, you want to see it done by the best, so that’s why heading to the Honeywell Center in Wabash on Nov. 3 to witness the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker just makes sense.

A fairy tale ballet in two acts, The Nutcracker is centered on a family’s Christmas Eve celebration, set to music by Tchaikovsky. Since premiering in western countries in the 1940s, this ballet has become one of the most popular to be performed around Christmas time. The story revolves around a young girl’s Christmas Eve, and upon its premiere in 1892, the music that forms The Nutcracker Suite became instantly popular. However, the complete ballet did not achieve its great popularity until almost 100 years later.

Lifting itself above most other production companies, The Moscow Ballet consistently produces one of the best and most consistent versions of The Nutcracker in the world, thrilling audiences from New York City to Los Angeles. Featuring spectacular sets and beautifully costumed Russian dancers, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is an annual treat for the whole family.

Whimsical and imaginative storytelling blends with the richness of Russian classical dance to make the Great Russian Nutcracker a unique performance, set against a spectacular scenic design, with larger-than-life puppets and the backdrop of unicorns, exotic birds, and animals.