It’s difficult enough to capture the apex of a jump or the perfect pointe work with the modern convenience of digital photography, but back when Frisch’s Presents The Nutcracker began it was even more complex.

Countless rolls of film were shot during the 70s, 80s and 90s before Cincinnati Ballet transitioned to digital photography. Looking back through these vintage pictures of The Nutcracker, spanning four decades, it quickly strikes you that the ballet itself has evolved as much as the technology we use to document it.

Take a nostalgic trip with us back through 40 years (and 6 different versions!) of The Nutcracker.