Nutcracker Making a Return to Festival Hill

It’s that time of year once again. The Round Top Festival Institute will present Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic ballet, The Nutcracker. This year’s production celebrates the 14th annual performance danced by Ovation, a youth ballet company in residency at Dancers Workshop in Austin.

The legendary ballet will be one show only at the Round Top Festival Institute Concert Hall on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 4 p.m.

This year’s cast includes 73 dancers ranging from 2nd grade through high school along with two adult guest dancers. The artistic staff includes Kristi Stere, Julia Dzubinski, Taylor Woolums and Lily Collier. Nikolay Korygin will design the lighting again this year. His creative design last year greatly enhanced the scope of the production.

Costumes for the famous Snow Scene which closes Act I have been refreshed this year and new costumes for the Cherubs have been created. There promises to be a surprise at the end of the battle scene between the Soldiers and Rats this year. Ballet goers will need to watch carefully as the Nutcracker, wearing a new costume head, is killed by the Rat King and then transformed into the handsome Nutcracker Prince. This memorable story ballet has something for everyone - dancing party guests, menacing rats, soldiers brandishing candy canes, graceful snowflakes, the handsome Nutcracker Prince and, the most famous holiday favorite, the Sugar Plum Fairy.

A limited number of tickets remain. If you wish to purchase tickets, please call the Round Top Festival Institute office at (979) 249-3129. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Seating is general admission. Doors open at 3 p.m. Reserved handicapped seating is available by calling the office. Special discount pricing is available to groups of 20 or more. There are no covid restrictions this year.