New York City Ballet Announces Annual Season of GEORGE BALANCHINE'S THE NUTCRACKER

New York City Ballet will open its annual season of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker on Friday, November 26 at 8 p.m. at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The 2021 season of the holiday classic will include 47 performances through Sunday, January 2, 2022.

New York City Ballet's acclaimed production of Balanchine's masterpiece, which premiered on February 2, 1954, helped to establish The Nutcracker and its score as perennial favorites in the United States. A signature event of the holiday season in New York City, with the exception of the 2020 season when performances were cancelled due to the COVID-19 shutdowns, the treasured classic had been performed by NYCB every year since its premiere more than 65 years ago.

"New York City Ballet and George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® are an essential part of the holidays in New York and we are extraordinarily grateful for the generous continued sponsorship from The Travelers Companies, Inc. that helps to make this treasured holiday favorite possible," said Katherine Brown, NYCB's Executive Director.

"This marks our 10th year of supporting New York City Ballet's extraordinary production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®. As we all hope to celebrate the holidays in ways that feel like we are getting back to normal, we could not be more pleased to be supporting NYCB and this very special holiday tradition." said Lisa Caputo, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience at Travelers.

Set to Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky's glorious score, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® features choreography by Balanchine, scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, costumes by Karinska, and lighting by Mark Stanley, after the original design by Ronald Bates.

Highlights of this world-renowned holiday production include a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet, an onstage snowstorm, and hundreds of elaborate costumes, including one for Mother Ginger that measures 9 feet wide and weighs 85 pounds. The production's grand finale involves one million watts of lighting, the most used in any New York City Ballet production.

Ticket prices start at $45, and New York City Ballet also offers a Sweet Seat VIP Package, which includes premium seating, a complimentary souvenir book, and for every two Sweet Seat tickets purchased, a coupon for one complimentary keepsake photo taken onsite at the theater.

Audience members 12 years of age or older attending performances of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® will need to present proof of vaccination to be admitted to the theater. Children under the age of 12 who are not able to be fully vaccinated by the time of their performance, and those adults who are not able to be vaccinated because of a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief, will be permitted to attend performances of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® with proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before the performance. For updates on the most current safety protocols visit nycballet.com/safety. For questions contact customercare@nycballet.com.

Tickets are currently on sale online at nycballet.com, in person at the theater box office, and by phone at (212) 496-0600. The David H. Koch Theater is located on the Lincoln Center Plaza at Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street.