Anastasia Tsoukas

Generations of fans and aspiring dancers have grown up with visions of the Sugar Plum Fairy dancing in their heads.

Many major dance companies now depend on the Nutcracker and even more so after the pandemic.

The organization Dance USA tells NPR that between 2022 and 2024,

Large American dance companies reported that Nutcracker revenue has been zooming up from $57 million to $84 million.

Attendance is also up by 18%.

The trick is getting Nutcracker fans to return for other performances and not to become so reliant on Nutcracker that it endangers their other work throughout the year.

It's enough to keep any dance company on its toes.

Anastasia Tsilikas, NPR News, New York.