My first Nutcracker
The Nutcracker has remained one of the most beloved works of the classical ballet repertoire for over 130 years, continuing to captivate audiences worldwide through ever-evolving interpretations. The ballet premiered in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, based on the literary sources by E. T. A. Hoffmann and Alexandre Dumas père.
With My First Nutcracker, choreographer and long-standing soloist of the Vienna State Ballet, Eno Peçi, offers a distinct artistic perspective on this iconic work. Created in collaboration with students of the Ballet Academy and members of the Youth Company of the Vienna State Opera, this condensed version is specifically designed for a young audience—without compromising artistic depth or sophistication. Peçi’s choreographic language combines a clear dramaturgical structure with a precise physical vocabulary rooted in classical technique and expanded into a contemporary context. His interpretation preserves the narrative essence of the original while opening it to new readings—infused with refined humor, subtle irony, and a strong sense of theatricality. The characters are shaped with a deliberately human dimension, often playful and at times approaching the realm of slapstick. Rather than drawing a strict line between good and evil, the work unfolds as an interconnected web of relationships, in which all figures coexist within a unified dramaturgical framework. At the heart of the piece lies the motif of the nut—appearing in multiple forms and meanings—as a unifying symbolic thread. Beginning in a mysterious nut-and-chocolate shop owned by Drosselmeyer, the story evolves into a layered journey between reality and imagination. Rapid scenic transitions, poetic imagery, and dynamic group formations lead through snowy landscapes, dreamlike worlds, and adventurous encounters in which children become active protagonists. Tchaikovsky’s musical structure remains a fundamental pillar: familiar motifs are reinterpreted through a contemporary choreographic lens, ranging from festive grandeur to lyrical intimacy and virtuosic movement. A particular highlight is the pas de deux of the “Eiskonfekt Duo,” a poetic embodiment of the fantastical, merging classical pointe technique with a refined contemporary aesthetic.
With this creation, Eno Peçi succeeds in bridging the timeless power of Tchaikovsky’s music with a distinctly contemporary movement language, reimagining The Nutcracker as a living, transformative work—accessible, multi-layered, and rich in theatrical presence.
My first Nutcracker was created and staged by Peçi for the Junior Company and Ballet Academy of Vienna State Opera at Nest - New Stage of Vienna State Opera
choreography & concept Eno Peçi
music Piotr I. Tschaikowsky
stage design Eno Peçi
costume Nina Paireder, costume assistant Sophie Brattinga
performed Junior Company & Ballet Academy of Vienna State Ballet
pictures Ashley Taylor