The Nutcracker is presented by Art of the Dance World Academy. Tickets are sold on our behalf by our official ticketing partner, DanceTicketing.

Join us for an afternoon of sparkling snowflakes, beautiful dancing and holiday joy. Our students take the stage in the ballet that has opened the holiday season for generations — danced by the children you see in class every week, from our youngest students to our company dancers. Bring your family and friends: it is a performance to remember, and a lovely first ballet for younger children.

About our production

On Christmas Eve, young Clara receives a nutcracker as a gift. At midnight the toys come to life, the Nutcracker leads his soldiers against the Mouse King, and Clara is carried away through the falling snow to the Land of Sweets, where dancers from around the world perform in her honor. Set to Tchaikovsky's score, it is the story most children remember as their first ballet.

Our Nutcracker is staged by the academy's artistic directors, Andrei Kisselev and Yana Volkova, and is danced by our own students. Every dancer is cast in a role that suits their age and training, so the youngest children appear alongside our most advanced students. For many of them this is their first time on a real stage — and for their families, a holiday tradition.

This is not our first Nutcracker: the academy has staged it before, with our students in the children's roles and guest principal dancers joining them for the leading parts.

From our past winter performances

Good to know

Is it suitable for young children?

Yes. The Nutcracker is a family ballet, and many of the dancers on stage are children themselves — young audience members love seeing kids their own age perform.

When should we arrive?

Please plan to arrive 15–20 minutes before 1:00 PM to find your seats calmly.

Can I buy tickets at the door?

Seating is limited, so we recommend buying tickets online in advance. If you have any questions about tickets, call us at 917-609-1535.

My child would like to dance in next year's Nutcracker. How do we join?

Dancers for our productions are students of the academy. Classes for children start at age 4 — see our schedule and registration or contact us to book a trial class.

About Art of the Dance World Academy

Art of the Dance World Academy is a ballet and contemporary dance school in Great Neck, New York, at 338 Northern Blvd. We teach children from age 4 through teens, in small groups divided by age: 4–6 years, 7–8 years, 9–12 years and 12 years and up. Performances like The Nutcracker are part of the training: they give our students a goal, a stage and an audience.

More about the academy · Other performances · Classes and schedule