Maybe youre too old to believe in Santa Claus. But that doesnt mean you have to give up on holiday magic altogether. Every year, Miami City Ballet presents choreographer George Balanchines classic The Nutcracker, a whimsical version of the somewhat darker tale told by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Its about an old toymaker who introduces a little girl to a world of warring rodents and dancing snowflakes. Set to Tchaikovskys famous score, Miami City Ballets The Nutcracker is as constant and comforting as gravy at Christmas dinner, and as sparkling as the star atop the tree.
Let other choreographers scoff at convention, with their cynical takes on Herr Drosselmeirs motives. This production offers pure sugary delight, with star-struck kids playing the nutcracker children and grown-up ballerinas living the dream theyve cherished since they were tykes themselves. For more than two decades, Miami City Ballet has brought alive this fantasy exactly as Balanchine envisioned it: The ballerinas are beautiful, the toy soldiers are brave, and all is right with the world. Relive Balanchines holiday magic at the Arsht Centers Ziff Ballet Opera House.
Fri., Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesdays-Thursdays, Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Starts: Dec. 17. Continues through Dec. 23, 2010