NUTCRACKER, A CLASSIC HOLIDAY TRADITION, RETURNS TO SAN FRANCISCO BALLET DECEMBER 8–27

WAR MEMORIAL OPERA HOUSE STAGE WELCOMES A COMPLETE CAST AFTER A RESTRICTED NUTCRACKER RUN IN 2021

This winter, from December 8–27, San Francisco Ballet (SF Ballet) returns to the stage with thirty-three performances of Helgi Tomasson’s Nutcracker, a Bay Area tradition of the past eighteen years. This year’s performances feature the complete roster of 110 SF Ballet School children dancing across the casts—returning to pre-pandemic levels—as bugs, soldiers, mice, and partygoers, returning in full following last year’s condensed number of 64 children. “This is a most joyous return to the stage for our students, many of whom have missed their favorite holiday tradition over the past three years,” says SF Ballet School Director Patrick Armand. “Nutcracker offers an invaluable opportunity to prepare a dancer for their career, to instill professional values and rigor in a supportive and fun environment—we are thrilled to be back.”

Nutcracker also offers audiences the chance to see dancers new to SF Ballet’s roster of 83 artists, including Principal Dancers Nikisha Fogo and Isaac Hernández, and Soloist Katherine Barkman dance in lead roles such as the Sugarplum Fairy, The Nutcracker Prince, and King and Queen of the Snow. Set in San Francisco in 1915 during the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, Tomasson’s Nutcracker features designs by Tony Award winners Michael Yeargan (scenic) and Martin Pakledinaz (costume), lighting designs by James F. Ingalls, and projection design by Wendall K. Harrington, and an iconic blizzard of 150 pounds of snow billowing from the fly space. In 1944, SF Ballet became the first ballet company in the United States to perform a complete version of Nutcracker, establishing a holiday tradition that resonates today.   

On Sunday, December 18, returning for the first time since 2019, SF Ballet will open its studios for three in-person Nutcracker-themed workshops for audiences of all ages and experience levels. Originally created in partnership with Autism Fun Bay Area and College of Adaptive Arts, SF Ballet’s Nutcracker Sensory-Friendly Dance Workshopoffers guests of all abilities the chance to interact with Nutcracker’s story, choreography, music, and costumes up close. For children ages 3–6 and their families, SF Ballet will also offer two NutcrackerLet’s Dance Family Workshops that explore ballet through hands-on, interactive activities and storytelling. The workshops will be held on December 18; tickets go on sale on November 1.

Nutcracker Benefit Luncheon: Land of Dreams returns on Sunday, December 11, 2022 at San Francisco City Hall and the War Memorial Opera House. Featuring lunch, sweet treats, and activities followed by a performance of Nutcracker, the event’s proceeds benefit SF Ballet School’s world-renowned training, Youth Programs, and scholarship funds. The event is currently sold out; contact 415-865-6625 or msullivan@sfballet.org with any questions or to add your name to the waitlist for tickets.  

Fun Facts about Tomasson’s Nutcracker

• Nutcracker features 83 Company dancers and 110 SF Ballet School students in 183 breathtaking costumes, the largest production in SF Ballet’s 90-year history.
• 150 pounds of “snow” are used for each performance, requiring at least 12 stagehands to deploy. The snow is also recycled from year to year, which means that some of it is from 2004, the year of the premiere.
• Nutcracker uses 45 stagehands while a typical triple-bill performance uses approximately 20.
• The houses on the street drop in Act 1 are based on San Francisco’s iconic “Painted Ladies.”

Nutcracker tickets start at $19 and may be purchased online atsfballet.org or by calling 415-865-2000, Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm Pacific.

Casting for Nutcracker will be available here at least one week before each performance. Press images for Nutcracker are available on the online press photos page.

NUTCRACKER PERFORMANCE DATES

DAY	DATE	TIME
Thursday  Friday  Saturday  Sunday  Tuesday  Wednesday  Thursday  Friday  Saturday  Sunday  Tuesday  Wednesday  Thursday Friday  Saturday  Monday Tuesday	December 8  December 9  December 10  December 11  December 13  December 14  December 15  December 16  December 17  December 18  December 20  December 21  December 22  December 23  December 24  December 26  December 27	7 pm  2 pm, 7 pm  2 pm, 7 pm  2 pm, 7 pm 2 pm, 7 pm  2 pm, 7 pm  2 pm, 7 pm 2 pm, 7 pm  2 pm, 7 pm  2 pm, 7 pm 2 pm, 7 pm  2 pm, 7 pm  2 pm, 7 pm  2 pm, 7 pm  11 am, 4 pm  11 am, 4 pm  11 am, 4 pm