Need a “Nut”? Productions of the holiday ballet “The Nutcracker” are thick on the ground this season, ranging from traditional to contemporary to burlesque. Should you wish to get that holiday spirit by seeing dancers whirling around to the strains of Tchaikovsky’s score, here are some options around town, for a variety of budgets.
“Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet”
This touring production, now in its 32nd year, has an international cast of more than 40 classically trained dancers and lavish sets featuring 10-foot-tall puppets.
1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Nov. 17; Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave., Seattle; $31-$81; nutcracker.com
DASSdance, “Seattle City Nutcracker”
Premiering in 2019, this contemporary production blends jazz, ballet, modern, acrobatics, tap and aerial dance with a story initially set in Seattle’s Central District and ultimately traveling the world. Performers include students of the DASSdance School, members of the DASSdance professional company and guest aerialist Jill Marissa. The company also offers a shorter “Mini Nutcracker,” along with a Santa Breakfast.
Nov. 23-24; Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway, Seattle; $27-$32; dassdance.org/seattlecitynutcracker
Pacific Northwest Ballet, “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker”
This is the biggie, with sets and costumes by Ian Falconer (“Olivia”), a vast stage crowded with dancers from the company and PNB School, and a festively decorated orchestra pit holding 59 musicians. Live musical ensembles will serenade “Nut”-goers before many of the performances, and the lobby is filled with charming photo ops for all ages.
Nov. 29-Dec. 28 (digital access Dec. 20-28; sensory-friendly matinee Dec. 19; audio-described performances Dec. 1, 7 and 19); McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St. Seattle; $29-$210 (digital access $55); pnb.org
International Ballet Theatre, “The Nutcracker”
Choreographed by IBT Artistic Director Vera Altunina, this traditional “Nutcracker” features more than 80 professional dancers and students from the IBT Academy, with guest artist Ana Sophia Scheller (a longtime principal with New York City Ballet).
Dec. 6-23; Theatre at Meydenbauer Center, 11100 N.E. Sixth St., Bellevue; $42-$62; ibtbellevue.com
Ensemble Ballet Theatre, “The Nutcracker”
More than 90 students and adult performers will appear in this annual “Nut,” presented by the Performance Division of EBT’s dance academy, and choreographed by EBT’s artistic director McKenna Sevruk.
Dec. 6-8; Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center, 400 S. Second St., Renton; $30; ebtballet.org
ARC Dance, “Nutcracker Sweets”
A speedy 90-minute “Nut” designed to appeal to all ages, this production has branched out from its Ballard home (where it’s been presenting sold-out performances for 19 years) to the Cornish Playhouse and the Shorewood Performing Arts Center. It’s performed by students of the ARC School as well as the professional ARC Dance Company.
Dec. 7 at Cornish Playhouse, 201 Mercer St., Seattle; $20-$45; cornishtickets.ludus.com. Dec. 13-15 at ARC Dance Space, 9250 14th Ave. N.W., Seattle; $18-$28; arcdance.org. Dec. 21 at Shorewood Performing Arts Center, 17300 Fremont Ave. N., Shoreline; $27-$42; arcdance.org
Emerald Ballet Academy, “The Nutcracker”
This Eastside ballet school celebrates the 20th anniversary of its “Nutcracker,” with choreography by the school’s artistic director, Viktoria Titova, and live accompaniment by the Emerald Ballet Orchestra. Students of EBA will perform alongside two guest artists from PNB: principal dancer Jonathan Batista (Dec. 7-8) and corps de ballet member Dylan Callahan (Dec. 13-15), as the Sugar Plum Cavalier.
Dec. 7-8 and 13-15; Northshore Performing Arts Center, 18125 92nd Ave. N.E., Bothell; $26-54; emeraldballetacademy.com
“Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker”
This cheerfully cheeky adults-only production isn’t really the “Nutcracker” (though it does feature live jazz versions of the Tchaikovsky score), but it’s a long holiday tradition blending dance, striptease, song and seasonal festivity.
Dec. 11-29; The Triple Door, 216 Union St., Seattle; shows before 9 p.m. are 17+, after 9 p.m. 21+; $65-$99; landofthesweets.com
Olympic Ballet Theatre, “The Nutcracker”
The Edmonds-based OBT’s longtime production comes in two flavors: a two-hour traditional version, and a one-act matinee for young audience members. Artistic Directors Oleg Gorboulev and Mara Vinson, both formerly of PNB, created the choreography.
Dec. 13-15 at Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett, $27-$47. Dec. 19-23 at Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds; $29-$60; olympicballet.org
Ballet Northwest, “Nutcracker”
A tradition in Olympia for more than 40 years, Ballet Northwest’s production features 200 local dancers plus guest artist Lucas Matzkin from American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City.
Dec. 13-22; Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. S.E., Olympia; $18-$39; balletnorthwest.org
Tacoma City Ballet, “The Nutcracker”
This longtime favorite, which sold out five performances at the historic Pantages Theater last year, features sets and costumes replicated from the original production of “The Nutcracker” in 1892 Saint Petersburg, Russia, along with a live performance of Tchaikovsky’s score by the Tacoma City Ballet orchestra.
Dec. 14-22; Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway, Tacoma; $27-$97; tacomacityballet.com
Dance Conservatory Seattle, “A Nutcracker”
DCS Co-Director Joshua Grant, former soloist at Pacific Northwest Ballet, created this fresh take on the familiar ballet for the DCS school and its professional company, Dance Theatre Seattle. This “Nut” takes place midcentury and is set in the Pacific Northwest, with characters including Chanterelle Mushrooms, Darting River Salmon, Forest Fairies, Waltzing Stars, Gnomes, a Unicorn and a dancing Sasquatch.
Dec. 14-15; DCS Studio, 426 S. Cloverdale St., Seattle; pay what you can, danceconservatoryseattle.com
Evergreen City Ballet, “The Nutcracker”
Choreographed by Wade Walthall, this “Nutcracker” features guest artists from Pacific Northwest Ballet (corps de ballet members Yuki Takahashi and Noah Martzall, on the Dec. 20-22 performances only) and a live orchestra playing the Tchaikovsky score.
Dec. 14-15 at Auburn Performing Arts Center, 702 Fourth St. N.E., Auburn; Dec. 20-22 at Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center, 400 S. Second St., Renton; $25-$59; evergreencityballet.org/the-nutcracker
Grand Kyiv Ballet, “The Snow Queen”
Not a “Nut,” but definitely holiday-appropriate: This touring family-friendly Christmas ballet is an adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, in which a young man is captured by a Snow Queen. The score includes music by Grieg, Massenet, Mozart and Vivaldi.
Dec. 24; Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle; $40-$110. Dec. 28-29, Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds; $37-$92; grandkyivballet.com.ua
Correction: This story originally gave an incorrect name for Emerald Ballet Academy.