Dancing into Bozeman for its 41st year, Montana Ballet Company presents The Nutcracker when it returns to the Willson Auditorium on December 7th and 8th. Performances will be held at 2pm and 7pm on Saturday, with additional shows on Sunday at noon and 4pm.
MBC’s production of The Nutcracker, set to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, is one of the largest artistic collaborations in the region featuring the work of accomplished dancers, local and national level choreographers, guest artists, live musicians, seasoned stage technicians, lighting and costume designers and a host of dedicated volunteers. Audiences will delight in new and exciting choreography and theatrical elements.
First performed in the lobby of First Security Bank in 1983, MBC’s Nutcracker is held the first weekend in December and has become synonymous with the Bozeman Christmas Stroll. This production is a cherished holiday tradition for countless performers and their families and friends, as well as the thousands of audience members who share in the experience year after year. MBC’s Nutcracker is a treat for the entire family.
The Nutcracker ballet is based on the book entitled “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” written by E.T.A. Hoffman. The legendary choreographer Marius Petipa commissioned Tchaikovsky to write the music for The Nutcracker in 1891. The following year, the very first performance of The Nutcracker appeared at the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia, the home of the Kirov Ballet. In the United States, the first full-length Nutcracker was choreographed by W. Christensen and performed by the San Francisco Ballet in 1944. Today The Nutcracker is an annual holiday tradition, performed by ballet companies large and small all over the world.
As all MBC Nutcracker performances are known to sell out. Purchase tickets early to join the celebration at www.montanaballet.org or by calling (406) 582-8702. All seating is reserved. •
