Boston Ballet Nutcracker | New England by The Numbers

1892
year The Nutcracker ballet débuted in St. Petersburg, Russia

2012
year Boston reimagined its Nutcracker performance

3,600
jewels worn by the Sugar Plum Fairy

363
Boston Ballet students auditioning for The Nutcracker (only Boston Ballet students are considered)

8
dancers hidden under Mother Ginger’s skirt

2,400
Boston Ballet performances of The Nutcracker since 1963

2 million
people who have watched the Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker

2000
yards of tulle and net sewn into the new costumes

275
Boston Ballet students chosen to perform in each production

57
dancers auditioning for the role of Clara

ZERO
actual sugarplums, cracked nuts, and sweets consumed on stage

Julia Shipley

Contributing editor Julia Shipley’s stories celebrate New Englanders’ enduring connection to place. Her long-form lyric essay, “Adam’s Mark,” was selected as one of The Boston Globe's Best New England Books of 2014.

More by Julia Shipley