A part of the New York City Board of Education Early Stages educational program, this activity packet was developed to assist teachers in preparing students for viewing the American Ballet Theatre's production of "The Nutcracker." The guide begins with a section on preparing for the performance, and includes information on the Early Stages program, the Lincoln Center Complex, the American Ballet Theatre, getting ready to attend a live performance, and trip preparation for teachers. The second section deals with learning about ballet, and discusses the nature of dance, learning about dance, questions and answers for balletomanes, and ballet language, and includes a ballet dictionary, the story of "The Nutcracker," and a classroom critics' checklist. Curriculum activities for young theatergoers after the performance are presented in the third section of the guide, which contains the following activities: (1) a ballet idea map; (2) critics' circle; (3) guidelines for classroom dance critics; (4) sample reviews; (5) backstage at the ballet; and (6) dance in the media. Appendixes comprise the fourth section of the guide, and they deal with the history of the ballet, resources for teachers and students, and articles from the American Ballet Theatre newsletter, "On Point." (SKC)