Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was commissioned to compose The Nutcracker for the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in 1892. But he didn’t like the story and thought the ballet felt childish. 

Critics agreed, calling the production dull and confusing. The music, however, was an instant success. 

Decades later, The Nutcracker was revived outside Russia and became one of the most beloved and performed ballets in the world. Tchaikovsky never expected it to succeed.