Following 19 months of virtual and outdoor performances, Nashville Ballet is set to make their highly anticipated return to the theater this December with Nashville’s Nutcracker. Running at TPAC December 15–24, this will be the Company’s first live, indoor performance since February of 2020.
“As a dancer, there is no greater feeling than performing for a live audience,” shared Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. “The connection you experience with them while you’re on-stage, in a theater, is impalpable, and it’s something our artists have missed dearly. Over the past 19 months, our dancers, faculty, and staff have worked tirelessly preparing for this moment, and I know I speak for all of us when I say we could not be more ready or excited to see you back at the theater and to celebrate this momentous occasion together this holiday season.” Presented by the Tennessee Titans, Nashville’s Nutcracker celebrates the unique history and cultural innovation of Music City. Beginning at the 1897 Centennial Exposition, this magical holiday delight takes audiences on an unforgettable journey to the land of sweets and sugar plum fairies with Clara, her Uncle Drosselmeyer, and the beloved Nutcracker. The performance will feature Nashville Ballet Company dancers, as well as NB2 artists, a youth cast of School of Nashville Ballet students, and live music performed by the Nashville Symphony.
To celebrate this triumphant return to the theater, Nashville Ballet has made Nashville’s Nutcracker a complete family-night-out experience, featuring a commemorative photo booth, meet and greets with characters from the production, and pre-performance story times hosted by Nashville Ballet teaching artists.
In addition to the live production, audiences will have a special opportunity to go behind the scenes of this holiday classic in a free, virtual Inside the Ballet event. Participants will get a sneak peek into rehearsals for Nashville’s Nutcracker while learning more about the diverse cultures represented in the production directly from representatives from the Baila Program at the Hispanic Family Foundation and the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville. Tickets for Nashville Nutcracker are on sale now and can be purchased here. For more information, please visit nashvilleballet.com.
About Nashville Ballet
Nashville Ballet is the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, including original works by Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. Nashville Ballet and the second company, NB2 (a pre-professional training company), provide more than 55,000 arts experiences to adults and children annually through virtual and in-person season performances and its Community Engagement programming. Curriculum-based Community Engagement programs bring hybrid learning dance education to community centers, colleges, public libraries, and public elementary, middle, and high schools across the state. School of Nashville Ballet brings world-class in-studio, on-demand, and outdoor dance instruction to students age 2 and up. To learn more about Nashville Ballet, please visit nashvilleballet.com.
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