Every year, Christmas seems to arrive a little earlier. And, let’s be honest, the moment we hear the first notes of The Nutcracker, we’re instantly transported to the festive spirit of the season. This time, the anticipation is justified: one of the most celebrated productions of Tchaikovsky’s classic is coming to Brazil with the arrival of the St. Petersburg Classical Ballet.

The performances will take place on November 17 and 18 in São Paulo, at the Teatro Liberdade, which has increasingly established itself as a stage for major international productions. Tickets are now available on the Sympla website and at the theater’s box office.

It’s not common for ballet companies to tour with their full productions of The Nutcracker — even though the piece is practically mandatory on stages around the world every December. That’s why it’s particularly special that Brazilian audiences will experience the Yuri Grigorovich version, created in 1966 and regarded as one of the two greatest interpretations ever staged. Grigorovich, who passed away in May 2025 at the age of 98, is widely celebrated for his profound understanding of the richness and emotional structure of Tchaikovsky’s score.

This production, still considered the official Bolshoi version, was the first to transform the ballet into both a love story and a coming-of-age tale — following Marie/Clara’s journey from childhood to adolescence. It remains one of the most influential interpretations of the work, inspiring countless filmed adaptations.

The performance shines even brighter with two renowned stars of the international ballet scene: Alexander Volchkov, Premier of the Bolshoi Ballet of Moscow, and Maria Tomilova, from the Grigorovich Ballet. Under the artistic direction of Kirill Safin, a celebrated dancer of the Mariinsky Ballet, they join a cast of 24 dancers, both Russian and Ukrainian, in a grand and faithful staging that honors the Russian classical tradition.

“This ballet speaks to the child that lives in all of us, with sublime music and crystalline dance,” says Safin.

A classic that transcends generations

More than a ballet, The Nutcracker is a ritual of enchantment. It premiered in 1892 at the historic Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, and since then has become a cherished holiday tradition around the world. Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s tale, the ballet captures in music and movement the delicate transition between childhood and maturity.

The story follows Clara, who receives a magical nutcracker as a Christmas gift and, at midnight, embarks with him on a dreamlike adventure — from the battle against the Mouse King to the arrival in the Kingdom of Sweets. Between fear and wonder, the audience is swept into a universe of fantasy and emotion, carried by one of the most recognizable scores in the history of music.

So yes — Christmas may be arriving early, but in this case, it’s worth celebrating. One of the world’s most beloved ballets returns to its origins as the St. Petersburg Classical Ballet brings its celebrated Nutcracker to São Paulo.

The performances take place on November 17 and 18 at Teatro Liberdade, with tickets available at Sympla and at the theater box office.