New York City Ballet's Annual Season of THE NUTCRACKER to Return to Lincoln Center This Month

New York City Ballet will open its annual season of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker on Friday, November 25 at 8 p.m. at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The 2022 season of the holiday classic, sponsored by The Travelers Companies, Inc., will be performed through Sunday, December 31, 2022.
New York City Ballet's (NYCB) acclaimed production of Balanchine's masterpiece, which premiered on February 2, 1954, helped to establish The Nutcracker and its score as perennial favorites in the United States, evident by the now countless versions of the ballet performed all over the country. NYCB's beloved production is seen by more than 100,000 people annually.

"New York City Ballet and George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® are an essential part of the holidays in New York and we are extraordinarily grateful for the generous continued sponsorship from The Travelers Companies, Inc. This season marks the 11th year that Travelers has supported the production and helped to make this treasured holiday favorite possible," said Katherine Brown, NYCB's Executive Director.

"We are honored to support the New York City Ballet's production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®. It is an extraordinary opportunity to share this iconic holiday tradition with people of all ages," said Lisa Caputo, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience at Travelers.

Set to Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky's glorious score, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® features choreography by Balanchine, scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, costumes by Karinska, and lighting by Mark Stanley, after the original design by Ronald Bates. The production features the Company's entire roster of more than 150 dancers and musicians, as well as more than 125 children, in two alternating casts, from the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet.

Highlights of this world-renowned holiday production include a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 41 feet, an onstage snowstorm, and hundreds of elaborate costumes, including one for Mother Ginger that measures 9 feet wide and weighs 85 pounds. The production's grand finale involves one million watts of lighting, the most used in any New York City Ballet production.

Ticket prices start at $45, and New York City Ballet also offers a Sweet Seat VIP Package, which includes premium seating, a complimentary souvenir book, and for every two Sweet Seat tickets purchased, a coupon for one complimentary keepsake photo taken onsite at the theater.

Tickets are currently on sale online at nycballet.com, in person at the theater box office, and by phone at (212) 496-0600. The David H. Koch Theater is located on the Lincoln Center Plaza at Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street.

First-Ever NYCB Autism Friendly Performance, in Partnership with TDF

On Sunday, November 27 at 1 p.m., NYCB will perform the Company's first-ever sensory friendly performance in partnership with the not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts TDF. Tailored for families with members on the autism spectrum or with other developmental or cognitive disabilities, this special matinee of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®, will be presented through TDF's Autism Friendly Performances program (AFP). For more information and to purchase tickets, visit TDF.org/autism.