 This video is brought to you by Wix. Head on over to wix.com slash go slash polyphonic to check it out today. If it's December, chances are you're hearing this pretty much daily. With its cautious, bouncy rhythm and twinkling melody, Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy has become synonymous with Christmas time for many. It's been used in everything from Fantasia to The Simpsons and been covered by everyone from Duke Ellington to Pentatonix. It's the kind of piece that's just become embedded in the Christmas season. But what does it mean and how did it get so popular? Let's take a closer look. The story of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy starts not with Tchaikovsky but with a man named Auguste Moussel. Moussel was a Parisian organ maker and in 1886 he invented an instrument known as a celesta. Though it was roughly the size and shape of an organ, the celesta is actually quite a different instrument. Instead of pipes, the celesta uses metal bars. Hammers connected to the keys hit these bars and create an unmistakable twinkling sound, bright and magical. In fact, the name of the instrument even means heavenly. So perhaps it's no surprise that in the century since its creation, the celesta has been a go-to for composers who want to create something magical. That's why John Williams turned to it when he wanted to score Hedwig's theme, the most iconic piece from the Harry Potter soundtrack. Long before Williams in 1891, Tchaikovsky took a trip to Paris. While there, he heard Moussel's instrument and was instantly enchanted. He would write that the instrument had a divinely wonderful sound and he decided that he had to have one. He encouraged his publisher to buy it for him and brought it to Russia where he kept it under wraps working on his music. You see, Tchaikovsky wanted to be the first to show off this wonderful instrument in Russia, and he had the perfect piece to do just that. He had been developing a ballet adaptation of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, a story originally written by ETA Hoffman and then adapted by Alexandre Dumas. Set on Christmas Eve, that story is about a young girl who is whisked away to a magical fantasy kingdom by her toy nutcrackers. In the ballet, this fantasy journey takes up the second act and is represented by a number of dances based on sweets from around the world. And the Kingdom of Sweets is ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy. Upon hearing the salastra, Tchaikovsky knew that its magical sound would be a perfect representation for his Sugar Plum Fairy. It was sweet and twinkling but had a mystical sound to it as well. And with this sound, Tchaikovsky was able to write a beautiful melody, one that enchanted and enraptured, capturing the innocence and charm of childish adventure. And so in 1892, at St. Petersburg's Marinsky Theatre, Tchaikovsky debuted his work and showed the celesta to the world. And the results were mixed. Some praised it like we do today, but many critics thought it was childish or foolish. Some were surprised to find that the great Tchaikovsky had scored this ballet, thinking it had an embarrassment in the catalog of one of the greatest composers of the day. So how did this go from an embarrassment to one of the most frequently performed ballets of all time? It's hard to say exactly. Pieces of the ballet began to spread around Europe after the Russian Revolution, when many dancers fled Russia. They brought with them memories of their works, including the Nutcracker. And so some pieces saw performances here and there, and you have to imagine that the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy was chief among these. For many it's the most memorable part of the ballet. The celesta melody is an instant earworm. And then through one means or another, the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy found its way into Disney's ears. Disney animator Art Babbit made a scene around various selections from the Nutcracker Ballet in the 1940 film Fantasia. That movie was a roaring success, bringing many classical pieces to the mainstream eye once more. And perhaps it's because of this renewed attention that choreographer George Balanchine decided to do his own staging of the Nutcracker in 1954. That staging was a massive hit in the United States, but it featured a few key changes from the original. Most notably, the leading roles in Balanchine's version are danced by children. By providing choreography for children, Balanchine made the Nutcracker the first piece that many aspiring ballerinas would dance when they were growing up. From there it wasn't a stretch for the piece to become a holiday classic. Parents got to see their children dance in a magical whimsical ballet that was an easy fit to the Christmas season. As annual Nutcracker performances became tradition, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy came more and more into the public eye. While the entire Nutcracker is phenomenal and other pieces have become holiday season regulars, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy is the clear standout. It captures so much of the magic of Christmas. It's full of childish wonder, and the slow bouncing steps seem a perfect fit to creeping down the hallway early in the morning and spotting presents under the tree. It was a long journey from an organ shop in Paris to ballet stages worldwide, but the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy has become a Christmas classic for a good reason. And chances are as long as snow continues to fall, you'll hear the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy come Christmas time. It was great for Tchaikovsky that he could keep the Celesta under wraps, but that probably wasn't the best for Moustelle's organ making business. He had a great product and no way to show it to the world. If only Moustelle had lived in the time of Wix, Wix is a powerful web building tool that allows you to create your own professional website solution. Moustelle could have used their e-commerce functionality to sell his Celestas worldwide. And even better, Wix gives you true creative freedom. You have infinite design possibilities limited only by your own imagination. My own website, watchpolyphonic.com, was built on Wix and I love it. Wix has tools for everyone from novice hobbyists to professional website builders. So treat yourself to a Wix website this Christmas and show the world what you have to offer. Head on over to wix.com slash go slash polyphonic to check it out. Whether you want your website for music, bookings, a personal portfolio, or just a fun hobby, Wix will meet your needs. And again, be sure to use that link in the description to let Wix know that I sent you and to show your support for my channel.