With the exception of 2020, the Nutcracker has been an annual performance put on by the Brandeis Ballet club. The Nutcracker is the story of a little girl named Clara who receives a toy nutcracker from Uncle Drosselmeyer and subsequently goes on an adventure. The show involves an epic battle with the Rat Queen and lovely dances in the Land of the Sweets with the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Flower Queen and various other magical friends. 

The performance is a Brandeis Ballet Club tradition. The club has been around for 12 years now and offers classes in Gosman for beginner and intermediate dancers. In an interview with the Justice, Destiny Kluck ’25 shared her dance experience, stating, “Ever since I was 2, I have been dancing! I danced at The International School of Ballet for 5 years in the Pre-Professional Program. In addition to bringing me comfort with dance, I joined the Nutcracker to share my passion for dance and meet other dancers!” When asked about the show, Kluck stated that “My favorite scene in the show is Act II Intro. As the storyline of the Nutcracker goes, Clara is taken by the Nutcracker to the Land of Sweets. The Act [II] Intro foreshadows all of the variations including Hot Chocolate, Candy Cane, Tea, Coffee, Marzipan and Flowers. I enjoy how this scene follows the storyline and highlights the dancers.”

Emma Ward, played by Laya Fridman ’25, talks to her husband, Samuel Ward, played by Nicholas Kanan ’25, at their dinner table to discuss a protest that the IRA was going to hold against British rule in Northern Ireland.