NUTCRACKER Ballet Premieres In The West Valley At Theater Works 11/26-27

Theater Works is proud to partner with the Ballet Academy of Arizona as they present the first annual children's NUTCRACKER Ballet. This children's extravaganza is a priceless and unforgettable experience that will bring the NUTCRACKER Ballet alive in the hearts of the children who take part and the family, friends and audience members who are spellbound watching them on stage! We invite you to join Theater Works as we welcome this timeless production to the main stage. Children ages 3 - 18 will perform the NUTCRACKER in the gorgeous New York City Ballet costumes at Theater Works on November 26th and 27th at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

"Experiencing the joy of Nutcracker can fortify you for the hectic demands of the holiday. It
slows it all down for a minute (but not slow enough to lose the attention of the younger children in the audience), and leaves you tuned to what is genuine and beautiful in this season." -- Mary Murfin Bayley, The Seattle Times(2006)

The NUTCRACKER Ballet will have special guest appearances including Mayor Bob Barrett (City of Peoria) and will also feature the Party Children, Little Mice, Soldiers, Snowflakes, Angels, Candy Canes, Sugar Plum Fairies, Flowers and Dewdrops in this timeless Holiday classic. Caroline Atkinson, owner of Ballet Academy of Arizona, is choreographing the ballet and brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the NUTCRACKER production. With over 24 years of teaching and dancing experience including extensive training with the Royal Academy of Dance in London and a Practical Teaching Supervisor with the Royal Academy of Dance in the USA, Ms. Atkinson is well versed in the art of dance.

The Nutcracker, a ballet in two acts, is based on Dumas' adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman's story, the Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It was first produced in 1892 by the Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia and has become one of the most popular and well-known ballets. It is performed by professional companies, worldwide, especially during the Christmas holiday season. Tchaikovsky wrote the music and the team of Petipa and Ivanov created the choreography.

Tickets are now on sale both online at theaterworks.org and at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts. The Box Office is open from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily and may be reached at 623-815-7930. The NUTCRACKER Ballet performs on November 26th and November 27th at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. both days. Tickets are only $25.00 / person (prices include service and processing fees). Theater Works is located in the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts (the theater with the copper roof) at 8355 W Peoria Avenue, Peoria.