Audiences of all ages enjoy the tradition of watching The Nutcracker to ring in the holiday season. Atlanta will host several performances of the ballet this year, including special anniversary shows and immersive experiences from the Northeast to the Southside.
Following is a list of performances of The Nutcracker arranged alphabetically by neighborhood.
Alpharetta
Metropolitan Ballet Theatre: December 8 to December 10 at Innovations Academy.
Led by former ballerina Maniya Barredo, Metropolitan Ballet Theatre is celebrating its 25th anniversary. This year, the company will present its 22nd annual performance of The Nutcracker and its first at the Innovations Academy Theatre, part of a new collaboration. It offers a special children’s Sugarplum Storytime event before each matinee performance, where audiences can meet the dancers, hear the story of The Nutcracker and enjoy treats from the Land of Sweets.
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Atlanta
The Hip Hop Nutcracker: December 3 at The Fox Theatre.
Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, this contemporary, touring dance production celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Set to the music of Tchaikovsky, The Hip Hop Nutcracker features a dozen hip-hop dancers, a DJ, a violinist and hip-hop emcee Kurtis Blow.
“As we all continue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, it is particularly meaningful to bring The Hip Hop Nutcracker to Atlanta — a city whose impact and influence on hip-hop culture is undeniable,” Blow said.
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Ballethnic Dance Company: December 8 to December 10 at Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, Morehouse College.
With a cast of more than 80 classically trained performers, Ballethnic’s Urban Nutcracker, an original production about the journey down Atlanta’s own Sweet Auburn Avenue in the 1940s, celebrates its 30th season this year. Led by Brown Sugar and Chocolatier, this production features the Reggae Ragdolls spinning , the sultry Arabians dancing, the Black Russians leaping, Mother Spice’s Spice Drops tumbling, the bubbly Coca-Cola pas de six and more. “Urban Nutcracker has a homey, humble feel to it, but it’s also a professional production that people pay to see every year,” former company member Laila Howard told ArtsATL in 2022. “It’s a beautiful representation of what Ballethnic gives to the world.”
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Cumberland Galleria/Cobb County
Atlanta Ballet: December 8 to December 26 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
Since 2019, Atlanta Ballet has been presenting its larger-than-life production of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Yuri Possokhov. The production features detailed costumes, state-of-the-art technology and “something to watch at all moments,” says Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education faculty member Serena Chu. The Tchaikovsky score will be played live by the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra. In her review of the 2021 presentation, ArtsATL dance critic Cynthia Bond Perry wrote that the production is “remarkable. . . so layered with imagery and so packed with visual details, it’s impossible to take it all in at once: Audiences can return year after year and make new discoveries leading to different interpretations.”
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Duluth
Gwinnett Ballet Theatre: December 3 through 10, December 14 through 17 at Gas South Theater.
Gwinnett Ballet Theatre will host its 41st annual production of The Nutcracker, which the company claims is the largest and longest-running holiday ballet in Gwinnett County. Featuring more than 90 dancers, the production has two casts with professionals from Gwinnett Ballet Theatre and students from Sugarloaf Youth Ballet. Audience members will take their seats to the tune of trumpets as the performance includes a live orchestra under the direction of conductor Predrag “Pedja” Gosta.
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Northeast Atlanta Ballet: November 24 to November 26 at Gas South Theater.
In a classic rendition of E.T.A. Hoffman’s holiday tale, Northeast Atlanta Ballet’s The Nutcracker centers around the traditional story of Clara and her Nutcracker prince traveling through the Land of the Snowflakes and Kingdom of Sweets to meet the Sugar Plum Fairy. Because the company’s props for the ballet were stolen in December 2022, this year’s production will feature a new battle scene, according to Artistic Director Jennifer Gordon.
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Marietta
The Georgia Ballet; November 30 to December 3 at Jennie T. Anderson Theatre.
When ArtsATL interviewed Joy Johnson, Georgia Ballet’s executive director, in 2018, she said Artistic Director Daet Rodriguez “has brought his own flair” to The Nutcracker. “He’s created an even more challenging technical composition to give the audience ‘wow’ moments . . . he has brought our company to an even higher level of execution.” The company is known for its sensory-friendly shows; at those performances and on Thursday evening, there will be no live music. The remaining shows will be accompanied by a live orchestra.
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Terminus Ballet School’s The Nutcracker Suite: December 8 to December 10 at Kennesaw State University Dance Theater.
Toys and candies come to life on stage as the Terminus Student Company dancers perform the holiday tale. “This is an abridged and narrated version to help introduce our community’s youngest art patrons to the world of dance,” said Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre co-founder and choreographer Rachel Van Buskirk, who teaches at the school.
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Sandy Springs
Roswell Dance Theatre and Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance: November 24 to November 26, December 1 to December 3 at Byers Theatre.
With cast members of all ages, extravagant costumes and detailed sets, Roswell Dance Theatre and Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance will host 10 performances to celebrate the production’s 35th anniversary. The company changes its costumes, choreography and props in The Nutcracker each year to keep the performance fresh, says the company’s Kathi Jolley. Former Atlanta Ballet dancer Jonah Hooper is the guest artist. This year, the company will host three special event shows where audience members can meet and greet the fully-costumed cast members.
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Serenbe/Chattahoochee Hills
Terminus’ The Nutcracker Suite at Serenbe: December 16 and December 17 at The Pavilion at Serenbe Inn.
This immersive performance of The Nutcracker Suite allows viewers the opportunity to be up-close to the dancers, said Terminus’ Rachel Van Buskirk.
“This year, we’ve introduced younger levels in the school, and they also have the opportunity to perform. Creating their new roles and involving them in scenes with older dancers is a fantastic way to mentor and encourage everyone to pursue their best,” Van Buskirk said.
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Carson Mason is an Atlanta-based dancer who studied contemporary dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. With bylines in several publications, including MLB.com, NBA.com, The State Newspaper, The Charlotte Observer and DanceAtlanta, Carson enjoys sharing stories of athletes and artists.
