Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy: FREE Downloadable Music Unit

I love everything about The Nutcracker. Every thing about it captured my attention, but my favorite dance by far was the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Keep reading to find out how you can grab our Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy Mini Unit Study!

Don’t miss the 4 Winner Giveaway at the bottom of this post!

Nutcracker MEGA Activity Pack

The first time I saw the ballet in person is a memory that will stay with me forever. I went with a group and we sat in the balcony, but that didn’t matter to me. My Mom used to tell the story that I was glued to the railing so much so that she thought I fell asleep at one point. However, I was completely mesmerized by the entire performance. It was and continues to be my most favorite ballet, no matter what time of year, but especially at Christmas.

Each year I watch the Nutcracker with my kids. If you can’t see it in person, the next best thing is video. My favorite is Baryshnikov’s Nutcracker, but my kids enjoy The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

Our Nutcracker MEGA Pack is the perfect companion to use alongside your movie watching. This pack includes more than 435 pages of Nutcracker themed activities for PreK-5th grade. Inside you will find plenty of worksheets for early learners, like playdough mats, counting practice, pre-writing pages, simple picture puzzles, and more! Older kids will enjoy the coloring pages, emergent readers (in 4 levels), notebooking pages, writing prompts, and more!

How to Use the Sugar Plum Fairy Mini Unit Study

If you’ve never used a dance style unit study in your homeschool before, then using the dance of the sugar plum fairy is a great place to start. You can teach your children about the ballet dance style and show them educational videos of what it’s like to be part of the ballet. While watching the dance of the sugarplum fairy, you can also highlight the different dance movements. Learn about the instrument that makes this song unique, as well as the composer himself. And what about the very first Sugar Plum Fairy, or the most noteable ones? All of these are great starting points when researching.

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet

Before beginning work on the Nutcracker, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a successful composer having worked on Sleeping Beauty. He was commissioned by the director of the Imperial Theaters, Ivan Vsevolozhsky, to compose an opera and a ballet. Vsevolozhsky chose an adaptation of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, by Alexandre Dumas called “The Story of a Nutcracker”. Although the story had to be drastically simplified, the heart of the story was maintained.

The “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” is probably one of the most well-known songs in the entire ballet. But did you know it wasn’t included in the original Nutcracker Suite, which premiered just nine months prior to the debut of the completed ballet (1892)?

Who Choreographed the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy?

It is said that Petipa gave detailed instructions to Tchaikovsky about each dance and movement, down to the tempo and number of bars. It is hard to think that anyone would approach a famous composer with such demands, but I guess it was for the best, since this music has become a beloved Christmas tradition for many ballet companies around the world.

Take the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy for example. It is probably the most recognizable song and dance from The Nutcracker ballet, so it’s hard to imagine the original composition wasn’t what we know today. In fact, it wasn’t until choreographer Marius Petipa approached Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky about the desired sound of “drops of water” like they were being shot from a fountain, that the song and dance really became what we know. I imagine his vision was very similar to that of the water fountains at The Bellagio in Las Vegas.

A New Instrument Found

Not only was he challenged, Tchaikovsky knew this called for a unique instrument, so he began a quest for the just the right fit. He came across the recently invented celesta, which “is midway between a tiny piano and a Glockenspiel, with a divinely wonderful sound.” He believed it was the ideal instrument and told his publisher to purchase one, but to keep it a secret as he didn’t want someone else to use it first.

It turns out, the celesta was the key to the Sugar Plum Fairy’s music becoming a worldwide success and one of the most recognizable songs at Christmas time.

Don’t forget to follow our Christmas board on Pinterest for more great ideas.

The First Sugar Plum Fairy

What would you think if I told you the original dance for the Sugar Plum Fairy was short and had very little dancing? Strange, right? That is definitely not what we know of the role today. So, how did that happen?

It was all because of the first Sugar Plum Fairy, Antonietta Dell’Era, who was a good technician, but she lacked the beauty and lean lines we see in modern dancers, according to Modest, Tchaikovsky’s brother. He ridiculed her for her body shape and her less than attractive appearance. 

Add to that, the lack of dancing in the original choreography – what little we know about it, and the early critics saw this dance as a major defect in the entirety of the ballet. 

However, in an attempt to gain more stage time, Dell’Era took it upon herself to try and expand the dance by incorporating a gavotte by another composer into the ballet. According to ballet history, this wasn’t unheard of during that time period, but would most definitely be frowned upon in modern times.

Nutcracker Books and Movies

The Nutcracker and the Four RealmsThe NutcrackerThe Story of the Nutcracker Ballet The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerNutcrackerNutcracker on Ice featuring Oksana BaiulThe Nutcracker / Baryshnikov, Kirkland, CharmoliTchaikovsky: The Nutcracker – Complete Ballet

How the Sugar Plum Fairy Gained Popularity

The Sugar Plum Fairy is the third movement in the Nutcracker pas de deux during the second Act. Pas de deux, simply means “dance for two,” which means it is danced with a partner. However, this dance includes not only a dance with the Prince or Cavalier, but also short solos for both the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince. The Sugar Plum Fairy soloist is often referred to as the prima ballerina of The Nutcracker.

Although it has been danced across many generations in a variety of styles now, it wasn’t until Maria Tallchief danced the role in the 1954 New York City Ballet’s annual performance that it began to rise in popularity. 

Download the Sugar Plum Fairy Mini Unit today

Christmas music seems to evoke certain emotions in people all over the world and this iconic song is a great place to start this holiday season. This Mini Unit Study focuses on one of the most famous musical pieces in The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” This mini unit includes a poster page, short history of the song, listening exercises, notebooking pages and a Venn diagram. 

You’ll find some great activities in this unit that will draw kids into not only The Nutcracker but also music in general. This pack is designed for PreK-5th grades, but can easily be adjusted for older or younger kids.

My resources for this post can be found here, here, and here.

Enter the Giveaway Below

The Christmas season is here! It’s a time for joy, generosity, and celebrating the blessings in our lives. And what better way to spread a little cheer than with a special giveaway just for you?

I’ve partnered with a wonderful group of bloggers to bring you the Christmas Blessings Giveaway. We know the holiday season can be full of both joy and stress, and our hope is to ease that burden just a bit for a few families. We are giving away FOUR $250 gift cards, and the best part is that each winner will get to choose where the gift card is from. Whether it helps with presents, groceries, or something special for you, we pray it brings encouragement and peace this Christmas.

The giveaway runs November 19 through November 28, so be sure to get your entries in before it ends!

To enter, simply use the entry form below. We know it’s a long one, but each blogger personally contributed to make this giveaway happen, and your support means so much. Plus, the more entries you complete, the better your chances of winning one of the $250 prizes!

Wishing you a season full of peace, joy, and blessings!

Giveaway ends November 28th at 11:59pm ET.  Winners will be drawn and emailed the following day. The winners will have 48 hours to respond to email to claim the prize.  By entering this giveaway you will be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers. You must live in the United States or Canada to be eligible to win.