The Original San Jose Nutcracker
The Original San Jose Nutcracker will capture your imagination and transport you to a magical world of brave toy soldiers & dancing snowflakes.
For over 58 years, San Jose Dance Theatre has created countless family memories and holiday traditions with their magical production of The Nutcracker! Step into the enchanting world of elegant sugarplums, waltzing flowers, a thrilling battle between brave soldiers and menacing mice, and debuting a new extra-large Christmas tree that grows to over 60 feet!
This year, San Jose Dance Theatre audiences will be awed by the grace and talent of our professional company dancing beside our youth ensemble, accompanied again by live orchestra. Musical direction by Scott Krijnen conducting Cambrian Symphony. This 58th production offers an unforgettable experience of your favorite annual holiday classic, The Nutcracker.
San José Dance Theatre is thrilled to return this live production of The Nutcracker on stage at the magnificent San Jose Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown San Jose, December 8-10.
ORIGINAL SAN JOSE NUTCRACKER
BUY TICKETSONCE UPON A NUTCRACKER
BUY TICKETSPerformance Dates
Friday, December 8, 2023 @ 10:30 am (Once Upon A Nutcracker)
Friday., December 8, 2023 at 7:30pm
Saturday., December 9, 2023 at 2:00pm
Saturday., December 9, 2023 at 7:30pm
Sunday., December 10, 2023 at 1:00pm
Sunday., December 10, 2023 at 6:00pm
THE NUTCRACKER VIP EXPERIENCE
Don’t just see The Nutcracker, experience it! See more than just the performance with the Nutcracker VIP Experience! In addition to the best seats in the house, enjoy a pre-performance backstage tour and see the magic of the production up close. Meet and greet the cast at the exclusive Candy Kingdom party held in the Ridder Lounge, while filling up on delicious holiday treats and drinks. VIP ticket holders can also skip the crowds by using a special entrance into the theater, and using the Ridder Lounge restrooms during intermission.
"Just a BIG thank you to everyone for last night's VIP experience. What a blast! We had not been to The Nutcracker since 2016.....Just loved this year's updated staging and storyline and the beautiful costumes. Our thanks to all for giving us such a great evening, and the many memorable pictures we took with the dancers." - Michael L. (Testimonial from The Nutcracker 2019)
THE NUTCRACKER STORY
The Nutcracker ballet was first presented 125 years ago at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on December 17, 1892. Peter Tchaikovsky, the famous Russian composer, was commissioned by mastermind choreographer Marius Petipa to compose the Nutcracker ballet, score based on Alexandre Dumas’s adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.”
The first performance of The Nutcracker ballet in the United States was by the San Francisco Opera Ballet, in 1944. The production was directed by William Christensen. Twenty years later in 1966, San José Dance Theatre brought the Silicon Valley it’s own version of the Nutcracker ballet. San José Dance Theatre is the second oldest Nutcracker ballet in the Bay Area and has been produced each and every December for 57 consecutive years.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Audiences will be awed by the grace and talent of our new professional company, including Ballet Mistress, Mariana Zschoerper, and Principal Dancer, Augusto Silva, both internationally acclaimed artists from Brazil. They are excited to be a part of this year’s Nutcracker.
THE BALLET SCHOOL
San José Dance Theatre is the official school of the original San Jose Nutcracker and Resident Ballet Company of the San Jose Center For The Performing Arts. San José Dance Theatre offers excellence in dance training in a nurturing environment. Classical ballet is the main focus, but students receive a well rounded curriculum including pointe, repertoire, Men’s class, Pas de Deux training, Modern dance, Jazz, Character Class, Chinese Tumbling, Pilates, and Progressing Ballet Technique. San Jose Dance Theatre has produced students who have gone on to professional dance careers and scholarships to universities. San José Dance Theatre offers training for youth and adults at beginning through pre-professional levels.
TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS
Nutcracker School Show / Once Upon A Nutcracker
San Jose Dance Theatre will perform a special abbreviated production of The Nutcracker. Designed for families with toddlers, preschoolers, and young children, enjoy excerpts of the production at the Center for Performing Arts in downtown San Jose. Please visit our Once Upon A Nutcracker page for more information.
A dream field trip for your class or school. The Nutcracker never fails to dazzle adults and children alike with its magic and adventure and promises to be an unforgettable experience. Research indicates that students who participate in the arts are more successful academically, socially and as members of their communities.
To reserve tickets for the Nutcracker School Performance CLICK HERE.