As the Edwards family prepare for their Christmas Eve party, Clara imagines the wonderful things that might happen. The party comes to life with lots of dancing and as the excitement builds, Uncle Drosselmeyer arrives with a huge box from the Far East out of which come two dancing dolls. This is not the only treat he has in store and he presents Clara with a strange wooden soldier. This Nutcracker doll, which quickly became Clara's favorite Christmas gift, comes alive. After defeating the evil Mouse King in battle, Clara is whisked away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls. Peformance from the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg.