It may be safe to say that not a single person in many first world countries has not heard of The Nutcracker. It’s a staple for ballet companies every Christmas, and occasionally, a feature film or television production is released. The story seems slight, a little girl gets a nutcracker for Christmas who comes to life and battles mice before turning into a prince and whisking her away to a fairyland of dancing sweets and flowers.
Some have heard it was based on a story by German author E.T.A. Hoffmann, originally published in 1816, but…
