Austin, TX — It’s almost time to waltz into the winter season!
Ballet Austin, one of the premiere dance organizations in the country, will present its 61st Annual Production of The Nutcracker with 15 performances starting Saturday, Dec. 2 and ending Saturday, Dec. 23 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. Stephen Mills’ original choreography brings Ballet Austin’s company of professional dancers together with a cast of 150 dancers, including Ballet Austin Academy students. This year’s production features live accompaniment of Tchaikovsky’s score by the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Tickets for all 15 performances are on sale now.
“One of the most gratifying things about The Nutcracker is knowing that people are sharing their holiday tradition with us, making us a part of their family during this very special time,” Stephen Mills, Ballet Austin’s Sarah & Ernest Butler Family Fund Artistic Director, said. “When they leave the theater, if they leave elated or inspired or just happy to be with their family membersthat’s success for us.”
CBS Austin’s Allison Miller had a chance to preview the ballet, by working with Ballet Austin dancers to learn the iconic role of the Rat King. Dancers Julius Taiber (Ballet Austin TWO), Colin Heino (Ballet Austin’s main company), Ezra Schenck (Ballet Austin’s main company), and Tristin Filsinger (Ballet Austin’s main company) helped her nail the role.
Ballet Austin’s 61st Annual Production of The Nutcracker has a run time of 120 minutes split into two 50-minute acts with one 20-minute intermission. Audience members are encouraged to come early to enjoy a variety of activities. These include Footlights, a free 20-minute pre-show talk that provides behind-the-scenes details of the production; Ballet-o-mania!, a free self-guided interactive experience lounge showcasing The Nutcracker and its history; Pose & Post Photo Stations throughout the Long Center and outside on the terrace; and the Ballet Austin Guild Gift Barre for Nutcracker collectables.
OPENING WEEKEND: Only for opening weekend, you can get FREE holiday family photos, taken by a professional photographer. There will also be a variety of Nutcracker-themed selfie stations. See glimpses of characters in the lobbies before they go on stage, including the whimsical magic of our roving Drosselmeyer, and a “Meet & Greet” with Clara. Plus, snag a “Specialty Sweets Package” featuring dessert bites and hot chocolate (for purchase).
“Ballet Austin continues to share this coveted family holiday tradition with Central Texas this year and for the past 61 years,” Cookie Ruiz, Ballet Austin’s Executive Director, said. “We are grateful to be stewards of this magical production that brings generations of family members together, creating lasting memories.
Tickets for all 15 performances are on sale now. Visit balletaustin.org to reserve seats online, or contact Ballet Austin’s Ticketing Services Team by calling 512.476.2163, weekdays from noon to 5 p.m. CT for personalized assistance.
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ABOUT BALLET AUSTIN
As distinctive and dynamic as the city it calls home, Ballet Austin welcomes audiences near and far to participate in its “classically innovative” vision for the creation of original artworks, classical ballet instruction, and life-long health and wellness through dance and fitness. With a rich history spanning six decades, acclaimed productions, a commitment to creating access to programs, and a large, classical ballet academy, the organization is poised for an even greater future. From their home at the Butler Dance Education Center in downtown Austin, Ballet Austin and Stephen Mills, Ballet Austin’s Sarah & Ernest Butler Family Fund artistic director, actively engage the community, dancers, and audiences alike. The New York Times proclaims Ballet Austin “a company with big ambitions” originating work that is “absorbing.” For additional information on Ballet Austin and to purchase tickets and classes, visit balletaustin.org.
ABOUT STEPHEN MILLS
Sarah & Ernest Butler Family Fund Artistic Director
Known for his innovative and collaborative choreographic projects, Stephen Mills has dance works in the repertoires of companies across the United States and around the world. From his inaugural season as Artistic Director in 2000, Mills attracted attention from around the United States with his world-premiere production of Hamlet, hailed by Dance Magazine as “sleek and sophisticated.” The Washington Post recognized Ballet Austin as “one of the nation’s best-kept ballet secrets” in 2004 after Ballet Austin performed Mills’ world premiere of The Taming of the Shrew, commissioned by and performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The Company was first invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in January of 2002 with the Mills production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and at The Joyce Theater in New York City in 2004. In 2005 after two years of extensive research, Mills led a community-wide human rights collaboration that culminated in the world premiere work Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project. In 2006, Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project was awarded the Audrey & Raymond Maislin Humanitarian Award by the Anti-Defamation League. In September of 2013, the work made its international debut with a tour in three cities across Israel.
In 1998, Mills was the choreographer chosen to represent the United States through his work, Ashes, at Les Rencontres Chorégraphiques Internationales de Seine-Saint-Denis in Paris. Most recently, Mills was awarded the Steinberg Award, the top honor at Le Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur International Choreographic Competition for One / the body’s grace. Mills has created more than 40 works for companies in the United States and abroad. His ballets are in the repertoires of such companies as Hong Kong Ballet, Ballet Augsburg, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Atlanta Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Washington Ballet, Cuballet in Havana, Cuba, BalletMet Columbus, Dayton Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Louisville Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, The Sacramento Ballet, and Dance Kaleidoscope. He has worked in collaboration with such luminaries as the eight-time Grammy Award-winning band, Asleep at the Wheel, Shawn Colvin, and internationally renowned flamenco artist José Greco II.
As a dancer Mills performed with a wide variety of companies such as the world-renowned Harkness Ballet and The American Dance Machine under the direction of Lee Theodore. He also performed with the Cincinnati Ballet and The Indianapolis Ballet Theatre before becoming a part of Ballet Austin. Mills has danced principal roles in the Balanchine repertoire, as well as works by Choo-San Goh, John Butler, Ohad Naharin, Vicente Nebrada, Domy Reiter-Soffer, and Mark Dendy.
In addition to his work as a choreographer, Mills is a master teacher committed to developing dancers. He has been invited as guest faculty at many pre-professional academies including Jacob’s Pillow, Goucher College, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts in Dallas, The Virginia School of the Arts, The New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, Stephens College and Point Park University in Pittsburgh. Mills is a member of the national dance service organization Dance / USA and has served both in leadership roles and on the Board of Trustees for the organization.
ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
The Nutcracker Production Sponsors
H-E-B, Moreland Properties, Ballet Austin Guild, UBEO, St. David’s Healthcare
2023/24 Season Underwriter
Silicon Labs
2023/24 Season Sponsors
The Shubert Foundation, Baylor Scott & White, Virtigo Pictures
Government Funding Sponsors
Ballet Austin is supported in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
2023/24 Season Hospitality Sponsors
TWIN Liquors, Whim Hospitality, Austin Catering
2023/24 PR Agency Sponsor
ECPR Texas
2023/24 Official Program Sponsor
En Face Ballet Collection