Got to catch the dress rehearsal of Emergence last night, and I've got to hand it to Pacific Northwest Ballet, they really know how to pull people into their world. Before the show, they hosted a discussion with the director and production team, giving the audience a chance to ask questions and get a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and how everything comes together (which seems so intense!). Honestly, such a cool way to make ballet more accessible and get people interested in the performing arts. For a suggested donation of $25, you get to meet the crew, ask your burning questions (like, how do they make it look so effortless?), and then watch the full dress rehearsal. Not a bad deal at all. The dancers were absolutely phenomenal, and since Emergence hasn't been performed in Seattle for seven years, it feels like a big moment. Safe to say, it's going to do really well. I think they've got a few more of these dress rehearsals/production team discussions lined up this season for upcoming shows and if you've ever wanted to see world-class ballet without committing to a full-priced ticket, this is 100% the way to do it. Definitely worth checking out! read more

We've been to PNB's presentation of The Nutcracker 6 or 7 times now and every year it is slightly different but always enjoyable. This is a great way to celebrate the holidays with family, especially for the younger individuals who will no doubt find the experience magical. Parking in the Mercer Street Garage is definitely the way to go since there is a catwalk that brings you into McCaw Hall. This is very helpful when the PNW rain is upon us, since it is covered for the entire walk into the hall. There is a complimentary coat check on the bottom floor and several concessions stands for coffee, tea, sodas, and alcohol as well as snacks and sweets throughout the venue. The ballet and orchestra are always great entertainment and this is definitely an annual outing we enjoy thoroughly. read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Well, I don't know what they did, but after suffering through some awful performances in previous years, I have to say PNB's last two ballets that I attended (Firebird and Giselle), were nothing short of spectacular. I know they invested more in costumes and scenery, and it shows! The dancing is also better; I think they have different principals and soloists who are much better trained. Still a few missteps here and there, but on the whole, they are starting to look a lot more like a world class dance company that Seattle really should have. They're breathing new life into the classical ballets, and thank goodness for that. Even the orchestra sounds better! read more

We went to The Nutcracker again this year and it was the best rendition we have seen yet!

We've been here a few times, only to see The Nutcracker which is lovely and very family friendly. My 10 year old loves it so much and can't wait to go back next year! The theatre itself is beautiful and there is ample (paid) parking though a connected parking garage. There are light food and drink (alcohol and non-alcoholic) options available and of course many restaurants close by. It's right by the Space Needle so if you're visiting make sure to include that as part of your itinerary. It's Seattle so the dress code isn't super fancy but you also don't want to show up in gym clothes either. The sound is great and the venue is small enough where you will have good view from pretty much any seat but do keep in mind that the first few rows are completely flat ( I think up until row G?) so not so kid-friendly. read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - The Nutcracker - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Amazing first time experience at McCaw hall ballet. Nutcracker was one of my favorite ballet! It brought me many childhood memories as my mom used to take me when I was a kid back in Europe. Classic Tchaikovsky music was always such a pleasure to listen. I love the costumes, the choreography the music, decorations everything was absolutely amazing. Only one thing I didn't like but it's not ballet related its more to McCaw hall. Coming from Europe and going my whole life to ballet & theatre we have amazing breaks with champagne small bites and fancy crostinis. The beer in plastic cup and selection of some donuts was absolutely disappointing. I took 1 champagne that they forced me to pour in plastic cup and it was so disgusting! I regret I took that drink I couldn't even finish it. I wish choices were more extravagant just like in Europe. read more

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Just keeps getting better & better. We are so lucky to have a ballet company with the caliber of PNB. WORLD CLASS read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Absolutely beautiful show. Performers were fantastic! It was my 7 year olds first time at the ballet and she absolutely loved it! Snacks and drinks were super overpriced as expected. The gift shop was as adorable with reasonably priced gifts and toys. We will be back next year! read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - View from gallery row C - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is nothing like the old version. It's more like a kids recital with average talen. They've incorporated cinematic scenes which seems more like a movie theater. The costumes and set are not as beautiful as they used to be. I definitely will not pay the high ticket prices for this show again. It's definitely not the professional performance you would expect from PNB. read more

I saw PNB's Nutcracker last week. I haven't been to many plays in my life, and even less so in recent times, so I was walking into it with a fresh perspective. My first impression after the play is that it's mainly meant for kids and seniors. The first half was incredibly slow with very little actual ballet, mostly just setting up the story it seemed, so that was disappointing. The second half picked it up with the ballet and dancing, but it didn't really blow me away. I went to see the Chinese ballet Shen Yun a while back and remember being far more impressed with the performance itself. The staff were very helpful and organized in guiding people towards their seats. You can't bring drinks inside the theater and two bottles of water cost us $11, so be careful. The establishment itself is really nice and used to be the main stage for the Seattle Symphony. If you're in Seattle and ran out of things to do or have young kids, it might be worth letting the PNB occupy one of your nights. Just don't go in with very high expectations because you'll likely be disappointed. read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - Interior - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We had an excellent time at the ballet!! We saw the nutcracker for my friends birthday, and it was the perfect start to our day in Seattle!! Highly recommend as a date night, or a family day. My only complaint was that it was a bit stuffy inside. read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - Birthday trip - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I am not surprised to see so many 1-star reviews for PNB's Nutcracker. I've definitely seen more convincing renditions (mostly outside of the US), but this review is not about the Nutcracker. PNB recently brought to the stage a few of contemporary works, and did so in a very powerful way, so it's definitely not all about the Nutcracker here (thankfully). I was lucky to snatch a few tickets to Crystal Pite's "Season's Canon" at PNB, and what a treat it was! The choreography, the technique, the visual nuances, the orchestra's performance - every part of it was just a delight to experience. I can confidently say that I have not been this impressed at a ballet performance since watching Jiri Kylian's collection of pieces back in Europe 5+ years ago. So don't give up on PNB just yet, rather choose your ballet performances wisely. Location and logistics: The place itself is great (for Seattle) but don't expect the grandeur of the old-world opera and ballet houses. The parking is unproblematic if you pre-book. But getting out of this part of town after the performance can be rather nightmarish (especially if a Kraken game happens on the same night in the neighboring Climate Pledge Arena), so don't rush to the parking lot unless you like being honked at. read more

PNB has massacred one of the greatest works of one of the greatest composing artists in human history. Are you childless and wonder what school pageants are like? Here is your opportunity to experience the insufferable agony. Watch inept children play follow-the-leader in costume while their helicopter parents sporadically break into unearned applause. Do you hate ballet but feel forced to attend? Fear not, because you will never see less actual ballet in a ballet production, guaranteed. Would you have preferred to see the Radio City Rockettes or a burlesque show, but your family dragged you to The Nutcracker instead? Don't worry, because you will see Rubenesque women and jazzercise moves aplenty. Would you like to see what a ballet looks like when two leads each ignore each other? Got you covered. I feel dumber for having attended this atrocious program. read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - The master, before PNB destroyed his masterpiece. - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's funny to see all the comments about the Nutcracker when that's only a sliver of what PNB does. The "new" Nutcracker is the Balanchine Nutcracker. Balanchine is one of the reasons we have the Nutcracker as an American holiday tradition, but I digress. Classes: PNB has been my ballet home as an adult. It's one of the few places I can go and feel accomplished after class. The open program here is challenging enough for a former professional, but forgiving enough for adults taking ballet for the first time. Read their class-level descriptions carefully so you are over or underwhelming yourself. Shows: What to wear: If you are going to a PNB show for the first time, please remember that this is Seattle. The attire of patrons ranges, my suggestion is to wear what you would interpret as "nice and clean". Avoid wearing something you'd wear to the gym or running your daily errands if possible. Remember that theaters are cold so bring a sweater or something of the like to wrap yourself in. They have to be cold so the performers aren't overheating, complaining about the cold doesn't change anything. Etiquette If you have never been to a show in Seattle, you may also be surprised by the abrupt stop in applause at the end of the show. In other cities it's common to clap until you can't feel your hands, in Seattle it's a very sudden silence after the principals and conductor take their final curtain bow. It's ballet etiquette to stay through the applause, leaving during the final curtain is disrespectful to the performers. Watch your alcohol consumption and your general language. I went to a performance with a parent of one of the dancers. Behind us was an intoxicated woman making disrespectful comments about the performer's appearance. You never know who you'll be seated next to as family members of the performers do attend the shows in the general audience. And finally, in ballet don't say break a leg for luck. Say "merde" ;) read more

Amazing performance as always from the Pacific Northwest Ballet! This was one of my favorites and hope it comes again soon read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - Back at my favorite place Worlds to come, world premiere at the PNB - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a review for the PNB school open program. Ive been taking ballet classes here for about a year now... after a very long hiatus from dance. I really enjoy the clases here, they are an excellent workout and the teachers are great. However, there are some things that could be better: Parking is atrocious especially if there is a large event happening at the same time (often concerts and sports games). if you are unable to find street parking the garages can be really expensive. Make sure to come extra early to find parking if driving. The studios are almost always way too warm in my opinion. I don't know if this is intentional (kind of like hot yoga?) or not but I don't believe this facility has A/C and I really wish they did, especially in the warmer months. Some of the class levels are a bit inconsistent and can vary quite a lot depending on the teacher. I know this is something they are actively working on improving but it's still an issue and if/when you try a new class level and/or different teacher it can be a significantly different class experience. I wish more classes were offered on the weekends. They only have them Saturday mornings but it would be excellent if they held classes on Sundays and especially weekend afternoons/evenings for those of us who love sleeping in. With all of that being said, the pros outweighs the cons and I really enjoy the classes here but there is definitely room for improvement that I would love to see. read more

Quality productions and excellent facilities. I always feel elevated to a classier version of myself when I visit the PNB. They've managed to keep a very 70's era looking building modern and inviting. Food and drink options in here vary from level to level and you can pre-order your intermission menu items so they are ready for you when you pop out. The gift shop here is also top notch. This is a little boy or girl's dream store. I of course am a little girl at heart. I revel in the shiny sparkly light that glints off the dolls and pretty things on the shelves in here. They have wonderful books for children as well. My favorite time of year to come in here is Christmas, of course with all of the nutcrackers in every nook and cranny peeking out at you. I look forward to every visit here and can't wait for the next production! read more

I've been going to the PNW nutcracker ballet since I was a kid! Such a nostalgic holiday tradition! We recently saw the new Balanchine version- the set and costumes were bold, colorful & fun but this production is SO watered down! So much of the story line has been cut out. The ballet was only 2 hrs long and had maybe 2-3 set changes. It was a bit disappointing honestly. They used a lot more children though-out. It just seemed like a lot of running and jumping around, not as much actual ballet going on... Even my grandma said something about it on the way home! The dance between the sugar plum fairy "prince & princess" was the most impressive dancing of the entire show- but it did bother me that that dance was traditionally suppose to be done by the adult versions of Clara & the Nutcracker. Also the peacock... you just can't beat the elegance and grace of the Sendak peacock, the new costume and dance didn't even compare!!! I did however, really like the final send off of Clara & the Nutcracker with the sleigh & reindeer flying across the sky! This is just my own personal opinion and feelings... I'm also comparing the Balanchine version vs the Sendak version.... If you've NEVER been to the nutcracker youll probably love it but if you grew up watching the Maurice Sendak version you will most likely be disappointed, like us. read more

I'm a season subscriber for many years and always enjoyed the ballet performances. The ballet dancers are excellent. However, dealing with the tickets renewal and ordering is a little frustrating. Ordered tickets for Nutcracker in July and was informed that I won't get them until five days before performance. What's up with that? I was told that PNB decided that people will buy a bunch of tickets and re-sell them. I ordered TWO. PNB apparently is getting a little paranoid. And if I don't get the tickets for some I have to deal with calling PNB and arranging another way of delivery. This is very inconvenient and annoying. read more

I have season tickets and every year I am so happy I made the purchase. For a great price we are given excellent seats and we get to enjoy the varied, and all amazing, performances they put on throughout the year. We most recently saw Sleeping Beauty and I was blown away by the Aurora and Prince pas de deux in the third act. If you're a younger patron of the ballet, consider joining YPC. For a small yearly fee you get access to parties, happy hours, intermission treats (including free wine!), and other city events held throughout the year. You are able to meet and mingle with others who spend time and invest in this art form. Definitely worth it. read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I went to watch the Nutcracker ballet with my friends this Christmas. The 1st act was so boring and not much ballet to watch, just a bunch of children running around. I heard that some of the adult roles in the 1st act were people who donated a lot of money to PNB. It was like watching a student school performance. There were so many mistakes. Not to mentioned the children could barely dance, the corps were not sync and made so much screeching and clattering noises. However, the cavalier and sugarplum fairy were great. I still think this Nutcracker ballet is not as professional and original as the Kent Stowell's, which I miss. Overall I am very disappointed for PNB being one of the US top ballet company and school. I was also very disappointed with the two PNB students sitting next to us. They were very rude and making so much noise. One of the girls took off her shoes and sat with her feet up. I thought PNB would teach its students the basic etiquette of going to ballet performances and in a public place. read more

Fearless, multi-layered, and positively glorious twists on classics, beautifully executed. Neither a pumpkin nor a glass slipper nor a single solitary mouse? In a production of...Cinderella? A fairy godmother who upstages the title character? Yes *and* it was the most heartfelt and magical retelling I've seen to date. Between that and their sublime, uniquely modern 2016 production of Romeo and Juliette (the sparse sets and lighting direction were positively brilliant, relying instead on human emotions rather than sets to dictate audience reaction), I've come to miss the NYCB - my hometown company - less and less. And while I intensely disliked their updated/Falconer Nutcracker, every other production I've caught here has filled my soul and left me smiling. read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - Storytelling at its bravest...and finest. - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Lack of taste, knowledge and blatant Russophobia. Stay away from Tchaikovsky, how dare you. PNB Swan Lake is an insensitive, offensive and tasteless cultural appropriation and disrespect for one of the most revered treasures of Russian national culture and national identity. PNB dared to take the best Russian music without any understanding of the grand culture they touched, this is offensive to all Russian visitors. PNB purposefully removed the traditional Russian dance from Swan Lake and replaced is with some ugly "Arab" Persian dance performed by a poorly trained dancer clad in offensive and tasteless "belly dancer" cloth. This is a specifically RUSSIAN ballet and how dare PNB do this to our national treasure. Take some American music and do the Arab belly dance to it if you want. Poor Tchaikovsky. The main mail character is wearing cornfield braids in an 19th century classical Russian ballet. Just plain awful and I cannot unsee this ugliness of "Swan Lake". Stay away from Russian music. read more

PNB - Awful in every possible way. I would recommend keeping children as at away as possible. I wish we did this. Abusive and sadistic to kids, teachers are condescending and snobs, they project their own failures as failed dances on the kids. The skill and knowledge of dancing technique is very shoddy, probably non-existent. PNC takes EVERYBODY at the age of 2 - to make money. What can you teach to a 2 year old? How to hop around. They just take your money, until the child grows and they need to show that they taught them something. They cannot teach, they do not know how, and they do not know how to treat children - they do not talk to them for the whole year and then just dump on the poor kid. There is not progress report, no exams, no grades. The child does not know if they are doing well or not. No professional ballet school, just child abuse, - just a nursery school for small babies, for money and incompetent and abusive. Stay as far away as possible and if the child wants to learn, take them to a different city. read more

I attended such a dreamy performance here and loved it! It is so much fun to get lost in the beautiful music and choreography that plays out before you. Additionally, I love that the Ballet has a display on the main floor. You can see the ornate and intricate costumes up close, which is amazing. A lot of those little details are missed when you're in your seat and the performers are farther away. So lovely! read more

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Bravo! What a wonderful way to enjoy the holiday season! I saw the show last night and loved every minute of it. The set and the costumes are beautiful and artful. I was blown away by the dancers. And the orchestra was outstanding!! The continuous and enthusiastic applause, cheers, and whistles from the audience affirm my review. I've seen the Nutcracker all over the world, and this production is by far one of the best. Honestly, I'm confused by the reviews that complain about the show being for kids and having kids perform in it. The ballet is about a toy, the holidays, youthful joy and amazement. Yes, it's a family show and a wonderful holiday tradition that should be a must-do for you this season. read more

They completely wrecked the Nutcracker what was a beloved tradition for the kids of a child's wonderful dream sequence completely changed into a horror rendition. All the kids are masked and the adults were not. It comes across offensive and oppressive of children, there's film sequences now I didn't pay $350 to see a movie. Major scenes changed and missing. The first half was so boring we almost left. Save your money and skip it completely. read more

The new version of the nutcracker that replaced the Maurice Sendak one is AWFUL. The dancers were not something I would classify as ballet dancers. They were never in sync, the "dances" made no sense, the storyline made no sense, they didn't even play the same music that we all know and love. It was so disappointing and confusing that we left at intermission with no regrets. Do not waste your time or money. Also extremely rude staff members. read more

This review is specifically for The Nutcracker. Just leaving the theater (beautiful, by the way). I have seen multiple Nutcrackers across the country in my lifetime and this was by far the worst. For $100 individual tickets, I would have expected a professional, company-level ballet. What we received in the first act was community-dance-studio-level at best. Let me break it down: Act 1: 0/5 stars It was an hour long with about 6 minutes of actual ballet choreography. I prefer Nutcrackers where Clara and the Nutcracker actually dance (just YouTube any 'Clara dance with Nutcracker'). This is nothing against the caliber of the dancers because there was no choreography to judge them by. It was an hour of kids and adults shuffling around the stage, lack luster formation changes, basic arm movements, and the audience falling asleep. Seeing less-than-professional youngsters in Act 1 is generally a given in Nutcrackers, but it gets old after 30 minutes when there is no other choreography going on. Again, in my humble opinion, the dolls and toy soldier should be some of the top principal dancers. Their dances were good but not memorable- they are usually my favorite. I don't fault the dancers but the choreography. The dancers were great for what they were given. The long set design changes complete with special effects give the audience pause to contemplate life, whether or not they should leave, ponder if the bar is open, and hope that there will be dancing in the next scene. The stage design was beautiful. Act 2: 3/5 stars Good job to the dancers- you did great this act. Hoop dance was a waste of time- I dislike the use of props when they take away from actual dancing. Clara only walked around slowly for sub-5 minutes- aka victory! read more

Locally Sourced is the name applied to the works by three regional choreographers performed right now. CATCH THIS PERFORMANCE before this series ends on Sunday. Love and Loss is particularly evocative; it brought me to cheering as it ends. Whew! What performances! read more

Everything from the venue, to the show and orchestra was amazing here! We came here in December for the Nutcracker show and it was spectacular. Their parking lot is huge and the inside of the venue was spacious, clean and decor was beautiful. As we entered from the parking lot bridge into the venue, the lady scanned our ticket and was so sweet to compliment my dress (sorry, I'm a sucker for compliments...I mean, what girl wouldn't be a sucker for compliments? haha) We were just amazed at all the nutcracker and Christmas decorations. And the best part of this place was the BAR. Sorry don't mind me, we love to drink haha. I never expected a bar to be at a Nutcracker show, so you know we made a beeline for the booze line! After we placed our order with the bartender, he made sure to let us know about their pre-order drinks for intermission...ahhh whaaaaaat? That's so brilliant! No line with our drinks waiting for us as soon as we got out during intermission, we jumped on that real quick! As we were sipping away on our first round of drinks, we made sure to take pictures in front of the huge Christmas tree and their Nutcracker fireplace station. 5 minutes before the show was supposed to begin, a bell went off to signal the audience to start taking their seats. So we made sure to use the bathroom first, and then the usher escorted us to our seats. We were up on the balcony section, but our view of the show was still good. The cast was amazing and I was totally memorized by their talent and passion for dancing. I have to say the first half of the show was a bit slow, but after intermission (and our second round of drinks lol), the show then got into the fantasy land, which is my favorite part of the Nutcracker production. The lady that played the Sugar Plum Fairy was probably my favorite dancer of the night. She danced so graceful and elegant, she really moved me. By the end of the night, getting out of the parking lot was a nightmare. We were parked on the second to the last floor, and we were barely moving. But overall, we really enjoyed the show and had a wonderful date night. :) read more

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This is old post but never too late. This was in December 2015 and my husband surprised me with tickets to the nutcracker. It was so beautiful and classy. For my first it was an amazing experience. The nutcracker was beautiful and great play. Definitely want to come back for different ones. Would definitely recommend this place. read more

Pacific Northwest Ballet - This is old post but never too late. This was in December 2015 and my husband surprised me with tickets to the nutcracker. - Performing Arts Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We're so lucky here in Seattle to have such awesomely talented dancers in our Pacific Northwest Ballet. And I'm so glad that we're allowed to enjoy this stellar talent whether we're in formal wear or jeans. It's more about comfortably enjoying the art of dance and appreciating the movement, choreography, and orchestra than putting on an audience fashion show. You can cheer the dancers on, whistle for them, woot woot to them, and express your mad LOVE for them in our venue. Much different from the more classic, refined, and stuffy East Coast experience. The ballet is fun whether you go with a friend or whether you're hanging solo. There's usually something for everybody. I don't like *traditional* ballet but I also don't like the *totally avante garde* stuff. I almost always like the spiritual-tinted themes. If you're a student you can get a discount off individual ticket prices and also off season tickets. I get lost in the dance, it makes me cry, it makes me laugh. And during those special and rare times when a dancer gets so moved by the dance that you can't tell whether they're dancing the dance or the dance is dancing them, it's out loud exhilarating. In my mind, I am a prima ballerina. read more

My friends and I went to see Nutcracker around Christmas time as part of the holidays festivities. This was our first time seeing Pacific Northwest Ballet performance and we enjoyed our performance. The performance was great (although they could really work on synchronizing their performance a little more)...but hey..some performers were still kids, so what do you expect! :) I also love the fact that there were Nutcracker props just outside of our theater seating so we also did enjoy taking pictures with them, which made it a good, happy festive event to check out. PNB also has their own parking building right across their performing theater (it was only $8/evening), which made it even more convenient for us. I wouldn't mind seeing them again..although I might think about buying slightly cheaper seating area next time (all of us splurged on around $118/seat for this performance..and I'm not quite sure I'm enough of a ballet connoisseur to really enjoy ballet at this steep price) :) read more

Last weekend my husband and I flew up to to Seattle so see the splendor that is the Pacific Northwest Ballet. My expectation were exceeded by the dancers as well as the beautiful theatre. We had great seats and there were so many wonderful souvenirs for sale. Now onto the ballet - WOW! We saw Program B of the "Jerome Robbins Festival". It was truly a magnificent performance by all. These are high-caliber, athletic, and truly dynamic ballet dancers at their peak form. No doubt I will be back again SOON! read more

Great seats behind the orchestra pit! Sound was great. Bathroom well maintained... staff was helpful. Seats were a Lil worn down. Price per ticket not terrible. Elevator was a bit slow. Ordering from your drink before everyone else and picking it up while others wait on a line....spectacular idea! ! read more

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I can not believe they actually attempted to make a political statement with The Nutcracker. The child dancers ALL wore masks and the adults did not. What does that accomplish? They changed so many beloved traditions. This rendition is a very poor attempt compared to the Kent Stowell/Maurice Sendak version. The dancers were wonderful, but the sets are not anywhere as lovely and the story is changed. Thank goodness someone didn't decide to update the music! read more

Not good. Very little dancing, little story telling. Does not capture the magic of the Nutcracker.

Goung to see this used to be our annual tradition. The new version is so boring! Kids play most of the parts which is cute but we want to see professional ballerinas. Bring the old one back please!!! read more

I love coming here. It's a place where you can see magical things on stage, dress up if you like and enjoy yourself. I try to get tickets for their "Beer & Ballet" events where you can get local brews and discounted tickets. The Nutcracker became a Christmas​ tradition for me, now that I live here! read more