Ballet was originally entertainment for apartment dwellers; after numerous vases and glass menageries were destroyed via arabesque, the dance was reconceived for the stage. Observe ballet in its preferred habitat with today's Groupon for tickets to The Nutcracker performed by the St. Louis Ballet at Touhill Performing Arts Center. Choose between the following two seating options:

• For $18, you get a parterre seat (up to $37 value)

• For $23, you get an orchestra seat (up to $47 value)

In their 10th anniversary season, the St. Louis Ballet presents a holiday classic choreographed by Artistic Director Gen Horiuchi, a former principal of the New York City Ballet and choreographer of the opening ceremonies of the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Indulge in Tchaikovsky's famous ballet while installing permanent memories of gingerbread soldiers, sugar plum fairies, and peppermint nightmares. Performances take place on the following dates and times, firmly in the depths of the holiday season:

• Friday, December 17 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, December 18 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Sunday, December 19 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 22 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Thursday, December 23 at 7 p.m.

Reviews

The Gen Horiuchi and the St. Louis Ballet has been widely featured in the press, including features in the Post–Dispatch, and on KSDK. The Columbia Missourian covered last year's Nutracker performance. More than 900 Facebookers are fans:

• Gen Horiuchi became artistic director of St. Louis Ballet in a momentous year: 2000. In the decade since, he has seen the company grow in artistic ambition while reaffirming its status as a cultural institution. – Calvin Wilson, Post–Dispatch