A Russian Ballet Masterpiece

The Adler Theatre in Iowa each year holds a tradition of a festive event

It is the Russian production of the wondrous Hoffman's story ballet of The Nutcracker

And of course The Mouse King, it is a fantasy world from beginning to the end

Each time I see it my heart throbs for more as the joy fills my soul with holiday

Elegance as the story of children at home waiting for Christmas to come, Clara

Has a visitor and he is her godfather and toymaker, magician bringing  life size toys

For all the children, the owl-topped grandmother clock strikes eight o-clock and dance

And sing among the room in joyful gay attire, the tree with sparkling candles adorn

Dolls as tall as the tree, a nutcracker that cracks nuts, no one seems to want but Fritz

He picks it up and breaks it by mistake now, Clara feeling sad, she later embraces it

And mysteriously it becomes a handsome prince with life and prestige, the thrill the spin

The everything the trimming of the tree, its glee, its free, and then suddenly

It becomes midnight and the clock again strikes, this time mice run out from everywhere

And gingerbread soldiers are trying to get free, the Mouse King is incharge of this silly

War among the Land of Sweets, the Mouse King then realizes that the Nutcracker now free

From his wooden sculpture no more, is now a prince, and charming the Sugar Plum Fairy appears and they dance

The Danish Shepherdesses perform on their flutes to a marvelous tune, and the children

All dressed in their best, are performing in the most delightful way, the Celest, and libretto

Then suddening together they dance, Clara and the Prince in her arms, The Voyevoda plays a ballet suprano symphony

Astonishingly beautiful the grace a room filled with admire as the final waltz takes over

Clar and the Prince are crowned, a sleigh drawn by reindeer are waving goodbye below

Now suddenly Clara finds herself awakening from a deep sleep from under the tree

Could this have simply been just a dream or real within her mind, as she holds the nutcracker in her arms

As snowflakes fall and ballerinas dance in sugar plums and cookies is it all gone, but funny

It really doesn't matter for this ballet and fantasy, is a masterpiece to be cherished by all

With all of its holiday feeling of the most beautiful ballet so warmly amazingly it charms