The Nutcracker

"Swirling among snowflakes that float from the evening sky, the sweet sounds of violins and flutes fill the air. It is Christmas Eve, and in every house, warm hearts beat in anticipation of the magic of the night. In one special house - the home of the Stahlbaum family - the music and the magic are about to take an unusual shape." (Purchase your copy of The Nutcracker.)

That excerpt from Champaign Urbana Ballet's The Nutcracker sets the stage for what has become a glamorous, magical holiday tradition for local audiences. Our production is presented each December with a live orchestra, the famed Sinfonia da Camera, in the elegant Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois. Choreography by artistic director Deanna Doty is staged in a unique gothic-modernist set designed by Andy Warfel. Layers of detail are added each year to make each year's production engaging for repeat audience goers.

Local children are cast in roles as mice, soldiers and Polichenelles, while company dancers perform the Waltz of the Snowflakes and Flowers, variations of international delights, and the magnificent Pas de Deux that richly defines the Tchaikovsky score.

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Buy your tickets early, as performances sell out for this exceptional ballet.