Lincoln Center to Screen NYC Ballet's THE NUTCRACKER for U.S. Military & Families Overseas

On Christmas Day, Lincoln Center will share the warmth of the holiday season when it brings New York City Ballet's exquisite production of George Balanchine's THE NUTCRACKER to approximately 400,000 members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families serving abroad in 175 countries and U.S. territories, via AFN, the American Forces Network.

The production was released this December by Lincoln Center as a presentation of its new series Lincoln Center at the Movies: Great American Dance, and shown in more than 600 movie theaters across the U.S. Now, television screens on bases from Afghanistan and Iraq to Germany, the Philippines, and Japan -- as well as on Naval ships outside of U.S. waters - will show the timeless tale, set to Tschaikovsky's beloved music, and danced by one of the world's leading ballet companies, to the dedicated military personnel serving our country abroad.

Jed Bernstein, President of Lincoln Center said, "It's a privilege to make this beautiful work of art, which embodies the joy of the holidays, available to our courageous service men and women and their families who are so far from home. All of us at Lincoln Center share in the hope for their safety and the wish for peace."

The AFN broadcast of George Balanchine's THE NUTCRACKER will be introduced by Lincoln Center at the Movies: Great American Dance hosts Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, stars of LIVE with Kelly and Michael.

A behind-the-scenes segment and an interactive learning guide (available at LincolnCenterAtTheMovies.org) will enhance the viewing experience.

Previous presentations in this inaugural season of the series were productions by San Francisco Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Ballet Hispanico.

About the Ballet:

NEW YORK CITY BALLET

Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

Music by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky

Choreography by George Balanchine*

Scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian

Costumes by Karinska

Original Lighting by Ronald Bates

Lighting by Mark Stanley

Sugarplum Fairy Megan Fairchild

Her Cavalier Joaquin De Luz

Dewdrop Ashley Bouder

New York City Ballet's acclaimed production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™ premiered on February 2, 1954 and helped to establish The Nutcracker and its score as perennial favorites in the United States. Critics have called this now legendary production of The Nutcracker the "gold standard" and "The Nutcracker of all Nutcrackers." NYCB's beloved production has been performed in New York City every year since its premiere, and is seen live by more than 100,000 annually. Created by George Balanchine, a giant of 20th-century dance, the ballet classic depicts a magical world where mischievous mice besiege a battalion of toy soldiers, and an onstage blizzard leads to an enchanted Land of Sweets. The ballet features the Company's entire roster of more than 90 dancers, as well as more than 60 young students from the renowned School of American Ballet. Tschaikovsky's glorious score is performed by the 62-piece New York City Ballet Orchestra under the direction of NYCB Resident Conductor Clotilde Otranto. NYCB Principal Dancers Megan Fairchild and Joaquin De Luz dance the roles of the "Sugarplum Fairy" and her Cavalier," with Ashley Bouder as "Dewdrop."

New York City Ballet is one of the foremost dance companies in the world, with an unparalleled repertory of ballets-most of them created for NYCB-many of which are considered modern masterpieces. The company was founded in 1948 by arts patron Lincoln Kirstein and the legendary choreographer George Balanchine, who served as Ballet Master of NYCB from its inception until his death in 1983. In 1949, Jerome Robbins joined the company as associate artistic director. NYCB moved to its current home at Lincoln Center's New York State Theater (now the David H. Koch Theater), built especially for Balanchine and the company, in 1964. Now under the direction of Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins and Executive Director Katherine Brown, the company has more than 90 dancers, a 62-member orchestra, an official school (School of American Ballet), an institute for choreography (the New York Choreographic Institute), and an annual 21-week season in New York City. NYCB is committed to promoting creative excellence and nurturing a new generation of dancers and choreographers. For more information visit nycballet.com.

Photo Credit: Paul Kolnik