Trepak (The Nutcracker) facts for kids

The Trepak (Russian: Трепак; Ukrainian: Трoпак, Трiпак) is a lively dance from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous 1892 ballet, The Nutcracker. It is based on traditional Russian and Ukrainian folk dances. In Ukraine, this dance is also known as tropak or tripak.

This exciting dance is sometimes called the Russian dance. You can find it in Act II, Tableau III of The Nutcracker, as part of a section called the Divertissement. Other dances in this part include Chocolate (a Spanish dance), Coffee (an Arabian dance), and Tea (a Chinese dance).

Tchaikovsky's Trepak is a very fast piece of music. It is usually played in the key of G major and has a 2/4 time signature.

Trepak in Pop Culture

Movies and Video Games

• The Trepak appears in the Disney film Fantasia (1940). In this animated part, flowers dance instead of people. Thistles look like men in fur hats, and orchids act as women wearing bonnets.
• Short parts of the Trepak's music are used as the victory song for the Game Boy version of the Tetris video game. This happens when a player clears a level.

See also

• Hopak

In Spanish: Trepak para niños