Tchaikovsky’s beloved holiday ballet, The Nutcracker, may be based on a story written by a German Romantic fantasist—E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776–1822)—but its wondrous transformations translate to any culture. Christopher Wheeldon set his Nutcracker for the Joffrey Ballet at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893 Chicago. Mark Morris’s The Hard Nut takes place in a 1960s American suburb. The Cuban-British classical dancer Carlos Acosta, now director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, has recast The Nutcracker for his other dance company, the Havana-based Acosta Danza. And the Cuban composer Pepe Gavilondo has spiced up the score—think syncopation and Latin orchestrations. Nutcracker in Havana recently premiered at England’s Norwich Theatre Royal—to raves—and tours the U.K. through January 28, 2025. The show will be at London’s Southbank Centre from December 10 to 15. —Laura Jacobs