The company of 40, comprised of award-winning principals and corps de ballet, perform Olympic-worthy leaps, lifts and pirouettes in the classic holiday ballet. To the delight of audiences of all ages, the artists bring humor, charm, athletic prowess and Russian flair to Tchaikovsky’s timeless score. The ballet dramatizes the traditional story of Masha meeting her “Prince” and, exclusive to Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, adds a tribute to world peace as well. The “Dove of Peace,” for which two dancers become one bird with a 20 foot wingspan, escorts Masha and Prince to the “Land of Peace and Harmony” where ambassadors from Hispanic, African, Russian, Asian, and European heritages entertain and offer symbolic gifts in the form of playful silk puppets. The 2013 production includes 200 all new, hand-embellished costumes designed by Shakespearean expert Arthur Oliver and created in St Petersburg’s oldest theatrical costume shop.