The Nutcracker

Dance on Camera and Symphony Space have unveiled the 54th edition of Dance on Camera Festival, running from February 6–9, 2026. All films screen at Symphony Space’s Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater. 

Philadelphia Ballet has appointed Thays Golz as Principal Dancer, a promotion made by The Ruth & A. Morris Williams, Jr. Artistic Director Angel Corella at the curtain call for the company’s performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.

For many families across the state, the holiday season wouldn’t be complete without Ballet Arkansas’ Nutcracker Spectacular. Under the direction of Michael Fothergill, the beloved production stands as the largest and longest-running holiday performance in Arkansas and remains one of Little Rock’s most significant tourism events, drawing more than 10,000 patrons in a single weekend.

There’s something truly special about seeing young artists take the stage with confidence, joy, and clear artistic intention, and A Hot Cocoa Nutty Nutcracker—presented by the Hot Springs School District 7–12 Dance Program on December 11 and 12—did exactly that.

OPERA IN THE PARK Portland has announced the appointment of Nicholas Fox as its Artistic Director effective December 1, 2025. Fox's designation follows one year as Interim Artistic Director and two years of conducting for Opera in the Park Portland, during which he led two of the organization's most successful summer presentations, La Traviata in 2024 and Carmen in 2025, each drawing upwards of 7,000 attendees to Peninsula Park. 

Lincoln Center Theater’s new Kenny Leon production of Gian Carlo Menotti’s AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS, presented in association with the Metropolitan Opera, is hardly “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or “The Nutcracker.” Yet it manages to give us faith, hope and charity at a time we could all use more than a little of it, though there doesn’t seem to be much of a nod by director Leon to the setting of “The Present” mentioned in the Playbill.

One of my favorite parts of the Holiday season is seeing classic stories brought to the stage. For many people, their first experience in theatre is a production of “The Nutcracker” or “A Christmas Carol.” This season, we get the opportunity to add a third story to that growing list. On Tuesday, December 16, the national tour of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” started a week-long run at Des Moines Performing Arts. While this show may be new to Des Moines audiences, the story is a classic that is sure to make your heart grow three sizes.

Seattle Men’s Chorus will make its holiday concert Holly Jolly Jingle available through an on-demand streaming option. The program features seasonal music, comedy, and new arrangements performed by the chorus. The on-demand release follows the production’s live performances across the Seattle area.

The Nutcracker at Wethersfield is a documentary directed by Anne Sundberg and executive produced by Amanda Seyfried. The film follows New York City Ballet dancers who created a site-specific Nutcracker during the winter of 2020 at a Hudson Valley estate.

Get a first look at Next Generation Bannet's production of The Nutcracker at the Straz Center. Performances run December 19th through December 23rd, 2025.

Carlos Acosta's new production Nutcracker in Havana will come to the Storyhouse stage next month. The new adaptation transports Tchaikovsky's classic to the Cuban capital in a celebration of joy, life, love and family.

Pasadena Dance Theatre will present THE NUTCRACKER in a limited engagement at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. Led by Artistic Director Ashleigh Doede with choreography by Jessamyn Vedro, the production features more than 50 dancers. Go behind the scenes in a newly released video featuring Doede and Vedro discussing the staging alongside a peek inside rehearsal.

Ballet West reports a surge in fake and inflated ticket sales for THE NUTCRACKER, urging audiences to verify purchases through official ticketing sites.

American Ballet Theatre returned to Los Angeles to host its annual Holiday Benefit. The special, one-night-only program celebrated the magic of the season. Check out photos here!

What did our critic think of CHRISTMAS WITH CONTUS at Artistry Theater, Bloomington Center For The Arts?

'The Nutcracker,'  will be presented live and on stage in a family-friendly, abridged and narrated format at Mercer County Community College's (MCCC) Kelsey Theatre.

Little Bulb’s The Nutcracker arrives in the West End as a celebration of imagination, music and collective joy. This Olivier Award nominated production proves why the company is so beloved by family audiences, offering a festive adventure that is both wildly silly and deeply thoughtful. With its homemade aesthetic, infectious energy and generous heart it is children's theatre at its most alive.

The Mother City will finally have the chance to experience the mother of all ballets when the magic of Cape Ballet Africa's The Nutcracker is performed at Artscape's Opera House in February.

Acclaimed pianist Katya Grineva will return to Carnegie Hall for her “A Classical Holiday” concert for one night only, Friday, December 26, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. Learn more here!

If your festive wish-list includes being whisked away to a land of shimmering magic and charming story-telling, ENB have the ideal antidote to the winter drizzle outside with the first revival of their version of Nutcracker that debuted last year. Aaron S. Watkin and Arielle Smit bring a welcome change from the confused storytelling of Wayne Eagling's previous iteration, with a sugary delight of a show.

The Washington Ballet’s The Nutcracker was a faithful rendition of the holiday classic with a whimsical Washingtonian twist. When it comes to the ballet classic Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, you'll find that each company strives to find a way to make it new again.

BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon will host a global livestream of this year’s all-new iteration of “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show” on December 23 at 7PM PST. Tickets to the livestream event are available now.

The Rialto Theatre will present this year’s festive production, “Have Yourself a Very Big Band Christmas,” featuring the Cyprus Collective Big Band. Learn more here!

I couldn't help but get swept away by The Red Shoes. A rich blend of romantic storytelling and cinema, this production showcases the best Matthew Bourne has to offer as a love letter to ballet in its purest (and most haunting) form. If you're unable to find a production of The Nutcracker this holiday season, a trip to Sadler's Wells will more than suffice.