A hard nut to crack? Your guide to 5 local ‘Nutcracker’ ballets

Courtesy of Amanda Tipton
Wonderbound dance artists Sarah Tallman, left, and Brandon Freeman as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier.

"The Nutcracker"—a ballet based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's famous fable of action, romance and fantasy—has become a staple of many American ballet companies' repertoire.

Photo: Colorado Ballet Nutcracker
Artists of the Colorado Ballet in the Act II Finale of "The Nutcracker."

Photo: Wonderbound Nutcracker
Wonderbound dance artists Sarah Tallman, left, and Brandon Freeman as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier.

Photo: Boulder Ballet Nutcracker
Clara in the Boulder Ballet production of "The Nutcracker."

Photo: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Nutcracker
Waltz of the Flowers from Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's "The Nutcracker."

Photo: Canyon City Ballet Nutcracker
Herr Drosselmeyer in the Canyon City Ballet's "The Nutcracker."