Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky listen (1840 November 6) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. While not part of the nationalistic music group known as The Five; Tchaikovsky wrote music which was distinctly Russian: plangent; introspective; with modally-inflected melody and harmony.Tchaikovsky considered himself a professional composer. He felt his professionalism in combining skill and high standards in his musical works separated him from his colleagues in The Five. He shared several of their ideals; including an emphasis on national character in music. His aim; however; was linking those ideals with a professional standard high enough to satisfy European criteria. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy is from The Nutcracker (Russian: Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik) is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on 18 December 1892, on a double-bill with Tchaikovsky's opera, Iolanta.Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.