In the second act of The Nutcracker Ballet, the Prince escorts Clara to the Land of Sweets where they are welcomed by the Sugar Plum Fairy. When the Prince describes their daring battle with the mice army, she rewards them with a celebration of dances. Different nationalities are represented by the dances of the sweets. When the ballet was created, several foreign delicacies were very special and rare. People did not travel the world frequently, so foreign products were much harder to get. The following dances performed by the sweets represent delicasies that were considered special enough to be a part of Clara’s fantasy world. The dancers' costumes resemble the "sweets" they bring from their countries.
- Spanish Dance: Chocolate
- Arabian Dance: Coffee
- Chinese Dance: Tea
- Russian Dance: Candy Canes
- Mother Ginger: Bon-bons
- Reed Flutes: Marzipan
- Waltz of the Flowers
- Dance of the Dew Drop Fairy
- Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
The dances in the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy are usually standard in performances of The Nutcracker, but are not always performed in this order. Clara’s dream fades away as the people of the Land of Sweets bid her farewell.
