Salt Lake City is home to America's first and longest running version of The Nutcracker, created by William Christensen (Mr. C).
He was born and raised in Brigham City, and founded the San Francisco Ballet (the first ballet company in America), then in 1944 he created the first full-length version of The Nutcracker and brought to to Utah when he moved back in the early 1950s.
Tchaikovsky's moving score, magical costumes, and fairytale sets combine to create one of the most visually stunning productions of The Nutcracker in the world today.
More than 300 children are a part of the production, with 76 children in every performance.
"Each year, hundreds of children from multiple states around the Intermountain Region audition for the opportunity to perform in Ballet West's The Nutcracker," says Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute.
"Being selected for the coveted roles in the production is an honor and has become a tradition for generations of families," Sklute says.
The Nutcracker will be performed at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City Dec. 2 – 24.
Tickets start at just $30 and can be purchased atballetwest.org.
