The Nutcracker: A Multicultural Unit

The nutcracker is meant to symbolize power and strength; it is a protector from evil spirits, a guardian of the home. The nutcracker stands strong against the fiercest of foes, baring its teeth in the face of evil.

Between Thanksgiving and New Years, The Nutcracker ballet is performed by thousands of dance studios and professional ballet companies all over the world. In fact, the Nutcracker is danced on every continent, with the exception of Antarctica. It is impossible to count how many hundreds of thousands of hours are spent as dancers prepare for this performance every year.

The Nutcracker ballet was inspired by the fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Mouseking by E.T.A. Hoffman. In this book, Maria (later renamed Clara for the ballet) is gifted a nutcracker doll by her godfather. The story is told through the music by Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petipa and George Balanchine.

The four week schedule will allow you to learn about and make connections between the ballet, music, the fairy tale, and multicultural activities from around the world. We will discover important people and places related to The Nutcracker. Each week is scheduled out with chapters to read in the book, music to listen to, a STEM activity, as well as crafts and recipes

We hope this unit inspires you as you learn the history of The Nutcracker.