Worth 4 Minutes (will add to your holiday spirit!)

Growing up, my autumns and winters were full of rehearsals for Christmas time performances of The Nutcracker. And despite being a pianist and composer now, I was actually a ballet dancer then!

Ballets and their music were part of what made music so magical to me. Entire stories were told through musical motifs, no words needing to be spoken. Then the stories were built upon by dancers and choreographers, bringing an entire show to life.

If you’ve never been to see The Nutcracker, you should definitely go at least once.

But in the meantime, here are some selections of my favorite pieces (both as music and as dances to perform in!):

The Mouse King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRayVFD1Njk

Snowflake Waltz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLKhWl3tEkk&list=RDfLKhWl3tEkk&start_radio=1

Spanish Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSLBlz--j4U

Sugarplum Fairy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV1qLYukTH8

Russian Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3goZ00ESck

Waltz of the Flowers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKcZL8q1eBw&list=RDLKcZL8q1eBw&start_radio=1

Hope you enjoy these excerpts, and have a Merry Christmas!

Until next time,

Nadia

P.S. See you at the end of the year to wrap up 2025 with a This Year in Music Newsletter, going over music released in 2025, things that happened impacting the music industry this year, and new opportunities to watch out for in 2026!