Karin von Aroldingen

On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie falls asleep and dreams herself into a fantastic world in which her toys become larger than life. She meets up with the Nutcracker Prince who takes her on a journey to his kingdom and defends her from the Mouse King.

Serenade is a milestone in the history of dance. It is the first original ballet George Balanchine created in America in 1934, and is one of the signature works of New York City Ballet’s repertory. In its present form there are four movements: “Sonatina,” “Waltz,” “Russian Dance,” and “Elegy.” The last two movements reverse the order of Tschaikovsky’s score, ending the ballet on a note of sadness.