The Deal

• Youth American Ballet Company Presents The Nutcracker
• When: Friday, December 19, through Sunday, December 21
• Where: Desert Ridge High School
• Door time: one hour before showtime
• Ticket values include all fees

Seating Options

• $12 for house right seating (up to $25 value)
• $12 for house left seating (up to $25 value)
• $15 for center house seating (up to $30 value)

The Nutcracker

Based on a novel by 19th-century romantic fabulist E.T.A. Hoffman, The Nutcracker weaves a magical tale of holiday adventure around one of the most recognizable scores in the ballet repertoire. It begins when young Clara receives a nutcracker from her godfather, a wizardly toymaker named Drosselmeyer. Sneaking downstairs to see the toy after everyone else has gone to bed, she suddenly finds herself caught in the middle of a pitched battle between the toys and an army of mice. After saving the nutcracker with a well-thrown shoe to the Mouse King’s head, Clara and her now-living prince venture into the Land of Snow and the Land of Sweets to celebrate.

Throughout their adventures, Tchaikovsky’s dazzling inventiveness propels the dances of nimble flowers and regal fairy queens. The “Waltz of the Snowflakes” floats weightlessly above the angelic voices of a youth choir, whereas the “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy” tiptoes to the haunting, music-box chimes of a celesta. A medley of exotic national dances—including a Spanish bolero and Russian Trepak—add to the phantasmagoric celebration before the whole dream ends, as all dreams must.

Youth American Ballet Company

Although their ballet company has the word “youth” in its name, Georgi and Tara Rusafov are all about the classics. Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Les Sylphides have all been performed by their dancers, thus introducing the iconic music and choreography to a new generation. The performers are as young as 6, and each one receives pre-professional training that can help them pursue a career on stage and in tights.