It’s that time of year again… when just about everyone who’s a dancer, dance student or dance lover is involved in a performance, knows someone who is, or is looking forward to being part of the audience for that much-loved Holiday tradition — The Nutcracker.

Ever wonder how it got to be so? George Balanchine is credited with making it a household name in the United States back in the 60’s… but where did it all begin before Balanchine arrived on the scene? (Here’s a hint:  with Tchaikovsky, Marius Petipa, Ivanov, Alexandre Dumas…)  Well, thanks to youtube.com, here’s the 3 minute version — thank you Youtube and Happy Holidays!