Drosselmeyer is the mysterious magician-like figure in Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker. Called affectionately "Uncle Drosselmeyer", he is the godfather of Clara Stahlbaum, the heroine of the ballet (or Marie, as she is called in the original story). It is never explained in the ballet where he comes from or why Drosselmeyer has magical powers, but one of them, apparently, is the ability to bring toys to life. He sets the entire plot of The Nutcracker in motion by giving Clara the toy on Christmas Eve. Clara is especially fond of him (though their relationship is not borderline romantic, as some who see the ballet believe).