Between 26 and 30 December, the Cairo Opera Ballet Company, Cairo Opera Orchestra conducted by Nayer Nagui, perform The Nutcracker ballet at the Cairo Opera House.

Choreographed by Marius Petipa, the ballet is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, which is itself adapted from E.T.A. Hoffman’s original story.

The tale follows a young girl who dreams of toys that come to life as the clock strikes midnight, with the nutcracker given to her by a mysterious magician transforming into a prince who must save the toys from an army of mice led by the fearsome rat king.

The Nutcracker has a special history in Egypt, where the ballet company's late director Abdel Moneim Kamel reworked the masterpiece to add his own touch of artistry. Kamel was able to enrich the characters, while preserving their key traits as well as the piece’s authenticity.

Photos: Bassam Al Zoghby