Experience the magic and wonder of New York City Ballet’s treasured holiday favorite. Let Tschaikovsky’s transcendent melodies sweep you away with young Marie as she encounters the fearsome Mouse King and a blustery blizzard of ballerinas before arriving in the delectable Land of Sweets. With awe-inducing special effects, including a Christmas tree of epic proportions, dazzling sets and costumes, and exquisite choreography infusing every moment with joy and excitement, it’s no wonder this beloved production delights audiences of all ages. 

During the holiday period, the entire Company is immersed in activities surrounding George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. All 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 40 stagehands, and more than 125 children in two alternating casts from the School of American Ballet join forces to make each performance as magical as possible.

Audiences of all ages are sure to be captivated by the lure of Tschaikovsky’s music, Balanchine’s choreography, Karinska’s sumptuous costumes, and Rouben Ter-Arutunian’s magical sets. Based on the Alexandre Dumas père version of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816), George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker is one of the most complex ballets in the Company’s active repertory and provides an unforgettable spark to the holiday season.