On Christmas Eve, Clara is given a nutcracker. When the household sleeps, toys come alive and rats appear, and the nutcracker carries her off on a journey from the snowy Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets.
Fernand Nault's choreography is set to Tchaikovsky's score and draws on E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale. Over the decades it has become a family holiday tradition.
The production features nearly 165 performers, accompanied by the Grands Ballets Orchestra conducted by Jean-Claude Picard. Performances are at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts.