HCM CITY – The HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will stage the ballet The Nutcracker at the city’s Opera House this week.

The ballet is based on the dream of the little girl Clara and her adventures with a nutcracker, a gift from her godfather.

It is choreographed by Johanne Jakhelln Constant, art director of the Moving Art Theatre in Bodo, Norway, who worked with HBSO to premiere the work in 2011.

The play gained instant success and has been presented every Christmas season to meet the demand of  the city’s audience.

The two-act work will feature ballet stars, such as Hồ Phi Điệp (play Nutcracker), Đỗ Hoàng Khang Ninh (Clara) and Nguyễn Phúc Hùng (Mr Drosselmeyer).

Hùng, who is also the play’s general director, said, “This time, I made some changes to the decorations as well as the light effect and stage setup to enhance the magical and shimmering feeling for the ballet.”

Hùng graduated from the Việt Nam National College of Dance in 1994, and then studied choreography at the Fontys Dance Academy in Netherlands and graduated in 2009.

He has staged many dances, such as Dialogue, Dream Puzzles, and Touching the Past. He was the assistant of Constant for The Nutcracker.

He now works as choreographer and scene-setter for all HBSO’s performances.

Dancers from HBSO Ballet will also perform in the play, while HBSO Female Choir and Symphony Orchestra will play its music score composed by Tchaikovsky under the lead of conductor Trần Nhật Minh.

The ballet’s performances will be at 8pm on December 9, 10 and 11 at the Opera House, 7 Lam Sơn Square in District 1. Tickets are available at the venue. VNS