In this Pacific Northwest Ballet performance, it is Christmas Eve and festivities are under way. Clara (Vanessa Sharp) is excited when her godfather, Herr Drosselmeier (Hugh Bigney), arrives with a bag full of gifts, one of which is an intriguing wooden nutcracker. That night, while the rest of the household is sleeping, Clara visits the Christmas tree to inspect her nutcracker and soon finds herself immersed in a dream world that is both dark and enchanting.