A single ballerina in a white tutu is caught mid-pose on pointe, small and softly rendered in the right-center foreground of a palatial hall. At left, a decorated evergreen with red and gold ornaments stands beside a toy nutcracker soldier and wrapped gifts, while tall arched windows, classical columns and a chandelier recede into a gentle blur, with a seated audience loosely suggested along the back wall.

A warm, diffused glow, suggestive of candlelight and chandelier light, spreads across the reflective floor without harsh shadows. Loose brushwork and palette-knife strokes in the foliage and the layered tutu give the painting a nostalgic, dreamy, festive feel in warm ivory, antique gold, deep pine green and dusty burgundy.