by Stephanie Kramer for Dance Teacher | Aug 11, 2026 | Dance History, Pointe+, Profiles
In the dance world, E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776–1822) is best known as the author whose stories inspired The Nutcracker and Coppélia, two staples of the ballet repertory. But he was more than an inventive storyteller: He was also a lawyer, composer, painter, conductor, and...
by Chava Pearl Lansky | Dec 10, 2017 | Career, Dance History, Everything "Nutcracker"
Literary Roots E.T.A. Hoffmann, a German writer, penned the eerie and dark tale “Nutcracker and Mouse King” in 1816. About 30 years later, the French writer Alexandre Dumas took the Nutcracker story into his own hands, lightening things up and softening...