The secret of the exceptional popularity of The Nutcracker was attempted to be explained by the Ukrainian choreographer Orlykowski, who staged The Nutcracker in Zagreb in 1970, and his choreography became a reference point for all subsequent productions of The Nutcracker in Croatia. Tchaikovsky, a great composer, is one of the few who composed his music in close collaboration with choreographers, creating works that are not only musically and scenically perfect but also meet the special demands of the ballet stage with their rhythmic and thematic diversity, encouraging dance. The popularity and the layered stories he chose as the themes of his works, equally appealing to children and adults, as well as the choreographic elements that are not overly demanding but allow the dancers to express their artistry fully, are the X factor that will likely keep The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake on the throne of the most important ballet works for a long time to come.