Cincinnati Ballet Brings THE NUTCRACKER To Washington DC, 11/23-27

Cincinnati Ballet has been invited to present seven performances of The Nutcracker at the famed John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., November 23 through 27, with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky's sensational holiday score.

"To be invited to perform at the Kennedy Center is a great honor for any ballet company, and I am thrilled to be bringing our Nutcracker to new and national audiences. This will certainly be a celebratory Thanksgiving holiday for Cincinnati Ballet," comments Victoria Morgan, Artistic Director & CEO of Cincinnati Ballet and choreographer of Cincinnati Ballet'sNutcracker.

Scott Altman, new Executive Director of Cincinnati Ballet, comments, "Cincinnati Ballet is truly an iconic American ballet company. These Kennedy Center performances are a testament to the outstanding talent of our artistic leadership, our fantastic dancers, our hard-working staff and our loyal supporters. We are proud to be putting Cincinnati on the map, in our nation's capital."

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is America's living memorial to President Kennedy. The Centercontinues its efforts to fulfill President Kennedy's vision by producing and presenting an unmatched variety of world-class plays and musicals, dance and ballet, orchestral, operatic, chamber, jazz, popular, world, Hip Hop and folk music, comedy, international festivals, special events, and multi-media performances for all ages. The Center also nurtures new works and emerging artists, commissioning and creating performances, broadcasts, and touring productions while serving the nation as a leader in arts education. The nine theaters and stages of the Center attract audiences annually totaling three million to more than 3,000 performances, annually; Center-related touring productions, television, and radio broadcasts welcome 40 million more.

Each year the Kennedy Center selects one esteemed ballet company to present their unique version of the cherished holiday tradition The Nutcracker. In recent years, renowned American ballet companies including The Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West and American Ballet Theatre have been invited to perform their unique interpretations of The Nutcracker, and now Cincinnati Ballet joins that list.

These prestigious performances are perfectly timed with Victoria Morgan's 20th Season with Cincinnati Ballet. Since she joined the company in 1997, Cincinnati Ballet has grown exponentially including expanded artistic programming, educational outreach programming, the Otto M. Budig Academy, and increased ticket sales and fundraising results. Morgan is one of very few female Artistic Directors in the ballet world; she is currently one of five women leading U.S. ballet companies with operating budgets of $5 million or more.

The Nutcracker is the beloved holiday story of Clara, a little girl who embarks on a fantastical journey with her Nutcracker Prince through the Land of Sweets, meeting colorful and exciting characters along the way. Cincinnati Ballet's version of the production was recently re-envisioned and premiered in 2011, with fresh and engaging choreography by Victoria Morgan, new sets and scenic design by John Ezell, costumes by Carrie Robbins and lighting by Trad A Burns.

Morgan's rendition of the classical ballet is filled with unique, contemporary twists on longstanding traditions: from the bright, whimsical sets, stage effects and acrobatics to the appearance of new, playful characters such as Clara's companion, a pet poodle named Minnie, dancing Cupcakes, tumbling Snowballs, an ensemble of poodles performing the Dance of the Mirlitons (or "Mirlipoos") and more. After the debut of this version of the Nutcracker in 2011, David Lyman of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote, "The Nutcracker is now a 21st Century spectacle; bright, high-tech and filled with imagery."

The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra will perform live with Cincinnati Ballet, conducted by Cincinnati's own Maestro Carmon DeLeone; dozens of local D.C.-area children will join the professional Cincinnati Ballet dancers onstage, and members of the D.C.-metropolitan area Arlington Children's Chorus will lend their voices to the Snow Scene.

While in Washington, D.C. for the holiday weekend, the company will take part in special activities such as a bus tour of the city, a Thanksgiving dinner, after parties and more. Cincinnati Ballet has created a selection of packages for Cincinnati Ballet supporters who wish to travel to D.C. to share in the celebration, details are available at cballet.org. To purchase single tickets, visit www.kennedy-center.org.

Following the Kennedy Center tour, Cincinnati Ballet returns to present twelve hometown performances of Frisch's Big Boy Presents The Nutcracker, December 9 through 18 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. Tickets for the Cincinnati performances are on sale now at cballet.org, via phone at 513.621.5282, or at the Cincinnati Ballet box office at 1555 Central Parkway.

KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE DATES AND INFORMATION

WHO: Cincinnati Ballet

Choreography: Victoria Morgan

Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

WHERE: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20566

WHAT: The Nutcracker Performances

WHEN: Wednesday, November 23 - 7:30 pm

Friday, November 25 - 1:30 pm

Friday, November 25 - 7:30 pm

Saturday, November 26 - 1:30 pm
Saturday, November 26 - 7:30 pm

Sunday, November 27 - 1:30 pm

Sunday, November 27 - 7:30 pm

HOW: Call 202.467.4600, Toll-Free 800.444..1324; www.kennedy-center.org, visit the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20566

Tickets start at $59

###

Tour Sponsors of The Nutcracker: Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation, Linda Maier in memory of Blanche Maier

Capital Sponsors for The Nutcracker: Frisch's® Big Boy®, The Robert H. Reakirt Foundation, PNC Bank Trustee and PNC, Great American Insurance Group, Sheakley, The Anonymous Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Eleanora C. U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank Trustee, James J. & Joan A. Gardner Family Foundation, Sue & Bill Friedlander, Gannett Foundation, The Kroger Company Foundation, Doris M. & Charles B. Levinson Fund, The Louise Taft Semple Foundation, The Corbett Foundation, The Thomas J. Emery Memorial, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Procter & Gamble, Rosemary & Mark Schlachter

Cincinnati Ballet 2016-2017 Season Sponsors: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation, ArtsWave, PNC Bank, Austin E. Knowlton Foundation, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Ohio Arts Council, Frisch's, Mercy Health, Rosemary & Mark Schlachter, Enquirer

Victoria Morgan 20th Season Sponsor: PNC Bank

About Cincinnati Ballet

Founded 1963, Cincinnati Ballet is a cornerstone professional ballet company of the Midwest United States, presenting a wide array of classical, full-length ballets and bold and adventurous contemporary ballet programs, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Under the artistic direction of Victoria Morgan since 1997, Cincinnati Ballet has become a creative force, regularly commissioning world premiere works; performing classic works by legendary choreographers including George Balanchine; working with international choreographers including Ma Cong, Edwaard Liang, Jessica Lang, Trey McIntyre, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Justin Peck, Adam Hougland, Yuri Possokhov, Septime Webre, and others; and exploring unique collaborations with music artists including Grammy Award-winning guitarist Peter Frampton and the Ohio-based band Over the Rhine. Cincinnati Ballet also encompasses extensive education and outreach programs that reach tens of thousands of children and adults every year, and the Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy, which provides dance education from entry level creative movement classes to professional level ballet training.

(Photo Credit: Cincinnati Ballet Facebook)