In 2022, the premiere took place of a completely new arrangement by Erik Somers of a suite from the ballet The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, written for wind, narrator, and street dance.
This new version tells the story of Clara. During a Christmas party, she receives a special nutcracker doll as a gift from her godfather Drosselmeyer.
That night, she dreams that the nutcracker comes to life. The Christmas tree grows enormously, and a battle breaks out between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King. With Clara’s help, the Nutcracker wins.
Afterwards, the Nutcracker transforms into a prince and takes Clara on a magical journey. In this new 2.0 version, however, the prince is not a royal prince with a castle, drawbridge, and court. He is a prince of the streets, where especially in the evening and at night the outcasts of the city gather: the homeless and the destitute, the underprivileged and the night owls, world travelers from all corners of the globe—Spaniards, Russians, Chinese, and Arabs.
The new arrangement consists of the following parts:
- Overture
- The Christmas Tree
- Gifts
- Clara goes to Bed
- Battle with the Mouse King
- The Prince
- The Celebration
- Spanish Dance
- Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
- Russian Dance
- Arabian Dance
- Chinese Dance
- Dance of the Mirlitons
- Finale – Waltz of the Flowers
- Finale
- Apotheosis
Complete with narration. The street dance (numbers 7 through 14) during the premiere performances was provided by Fresh Label Studios. They created a full choreography featuring hip-hop dancers, street dancers, and breakdancers.
Premiere: December 10 & 11, 2022, performed by Harmonie L’Union Heythuysen
Dance: Fresh Label Studios (choreography by Luuk Olislaegers)
Narrator: Frans Limburg
Overall artistic direction: Erik Somers
Complete version available from September 2026.
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