PUBLIC BROADCASTING is under FIRE for airing a RADICAL, “woke” reimagining of the beloved holiday classic “The Nutcracker” this Christmas. Critics are SLAMMING PBS for what they call a BLATANT political takeover of family entertainment, turning a timeless ballet into a vehicle for MODERN ACTIVISM.
The English National Ballet’s production, set to air nationally, is PACKED with controversial changes. Dancers openly brandish “Votes for Women” placards, while the character of Clara is TRANSFORMED from a passive observer into a “strong,” AGENCY-driven protagonist who literally takes the reins, sidelining the traditional Nutcracker Prince. The show’s creators boast of “dismantling cliched expressions of national identity,” replacing classic cultural dances with personifications of SWEETS from Ukraine, the Middle East, and China.
“This is NOT your grandmother’s ‘Nutcracker,'” one outraged traditionalist declared. “It’s an INDOCTRINATION tool disguised as art. They are ERASING history and injecting politics into our children’s Christmas traditions.” Executive Producer David Horn’s celebration of this as a “first exposure” to ballet for many has parents fearful their children are being fed a heavy dose of ideology along with the Sugar Plum Fairy.
The production represents a CULTURAL BATTLEGROUND, where classic tales are rewritten to fit a contemporary narrative, prioritising political messaging over timeless storytelling. The question now is whether our shared cultural heritage can survive this era of relentless revision. This Christmas, the magic isn’t in the Land of Sweets—it’s in the AUDACITY of believing no tradition is sacred.
