A wooden soldier whose crooked jaw serves as a nutcracker. Leaning against a mirror in a studio at Paris' Palais Garnier on Wednesday, November 22, this funny toy, which gave its name to the famous classical ballet, awaits its turn to waltz. Three entrechats later, in the arms of 21-year-old Inès McIntosh, prima ballerina with the Opéra de Paris, who takes on the role of the young Clara, it glides, flies and is transformed into the fiery, crazy Prince Charming in the teenager's imagination.

Since its premiere in 1892 by Marius Petipa, this coming-of-age story, inspired by a fantastic tale by E. T. A. Hoffmann, has become the favorite choreographed Christmas show for audiences, particularly in the English-speaking world. With its mountains of presents around the tree, its rounds of excited children, its snowstorms and other exotic treats, The Nutcracker, set to Tchaikovsky's music, remains a spectacular climax that is passed on from dance school onwards. "I played one of the little girls in the ballet when I was 12, and it's a beautiful memory," says McIntosh. "Today, I dance the part of Clara, and I love the journey she takes from childlike naivety to the discovery of her first feelings of love."

In choreographer Rudolf Nureyev's 1985 "psychoanalytic" version of the Nutcracker, the usual delicacy is spiked with acidity. Between illusion and nightmare, enormous rats appear, while bats resembling Clara's parents disturb her sleep. "Nureyev's vision is very interesting, with two possible interpretations," points out José Martinez, Director of Dance at the Paris Opéra. "One works perfectly for children, the other, for adults."

As in most of his retellings of classical masterpieces, Nureyev features a double hero. Here, the magician and Clara's godfather, the elderly Drosselmeyer, takes on the features of the prince in the young girl's dream. He is interpreted by the same dancer, who in the space of two hours goes from being 80 years old with a hump in his back to being 20 and in his prime. "The dual role of Drosselmeyer and the Prince makes for exciting theatrical composition," says Martinez. As for Nureyev's well-known high technical standards, these are "particularly strong" here.

This combination of acting and sheer virtuosity proved to be a highly intense pursuit. Six castings were scheduled for the two characters. Every floor of the Palais Garnier was filled with warm-ups, jumping, clenching of teeth, practicing, and sometimes laughter. For eight of the 12 soloists, this will be their first Nutcracker. Such is the case for principal dancer Paul Marque, McIntosh's partner. In the Franchetti studio, ridiculously tiny for his stature, he looks as though he's on springs as he takes off in a circle of impeccable leaps.

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