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 57 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 57th 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 9-18.


  • The Nutcracker Presented by San Jose Dance Theatre

The Best Nutcracker in San Jose according to Yelp.com.

ORIGINAL SAN JOSE NUTCRACKER

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ONCE UPON A NUTCRACKER

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Performance Dates

Fri., December 9, 2022 at 10:30am (Children’s **Once Upon a Nutcracker show)
Fri., December 9, 2022 at 7:30pm
Sat., December 10, 2022 at 2:00pm
Sat., December 10, 2022 at 7:30pm
Sun., December 11, 2022 at 2:00pm
Fri., December 16, 2022 at 10:30am (Children’s **Once Upon a Nutcracker show)
Fri., December 16, 2022 at 7:30pm
Sat., December 17, 2022 at 2:00pm
Sat., December 17, 2022 at 7:30pm
Sun., December 18, 2022 at 2:00pm

VIP Tickets - $99 *No VIP tickets for the Once Upon A Nutcracker shows on December 9 & 16 at 10:30am)
Tickets - $44, $54, $64, and $74
**Tickets for the Once Upon A Nutcracker Shows are $15.
Coupon codes do not apply to VIP and may be restricted to certain shows.

The Nutcracker Calendar

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.

Read the Full Nutcracker Ballet Story

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

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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.