TBT Kicks Off the Holiday Season with The Nutcracker

Texas Ballet Theater (TBT) ushers in the holiday season with one of North Texas' most acclaimed productions, Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker, at Bass Performance Hall throughout December. After opening the 2015-2016 season with Dracula, TBT buries the Count and his brides and awakens The Snow Queen in this festive journey through the Kingdom of Sweets.

With 17 Nutcracker performances this season, it's all about the numbers: 400,000 watts of electricity for each performance, a $20,000 cost for the Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy's tutus, 200 costumes in the production, 50 pounds of dry ice per performance, 45 stagehands, 17 loads of laundry after each performance, five crew members required to make the Angel, Swan and Carpet magically fly, four snow machines on Bass Performance Hall's rooftop and three pairs of shoes per dancer used each week of performances.

"When Christmas comes around, to me, it is always a family celebration," said Stevenson. "There's the tree, gifts, turkey and what could be more appropriate than The Nutcracker. It's an American tradition that we all treasure."

TBT has 42 professional dancers each performing five to six roles in The Nutcracker. Dancers rehearse up to six hours per day in preparation for this annual production. The wardrobe department stays busy preparing too, beginning their costume refurbishing and repair on June 1 each year. They can spend 200-300 hours to stich one tutu.

In this holiday tradition, Clara receives a mysterious Nutcracker from her godfather and it becomes the center theme for an astonishing dream. She travels to The Kingdom of Sweets where she is treated to a celebration of delicacies from around the world. Along with Pyotr Tchaikovsky's classic score, flying carpets, snow, and TBT's dancers make this show unforgettable.

The Nutcracker opens Friday, December 11 at Bass Performance Hall, and runs through December 27. Tickets can be purchased at www.texasballettheater.org or by calling the TBT ticketing office at 877.828.9200 option 1.

Texas Ballet Theater Presents: Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker

Bass Performance Hall

525 Commerce St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Friday, December 11, 8PM

Saturday, December 12, 2PM and 8PM

Sunday, December 13, 2PM and 7PM

Thursday, December 17, 7PM

Saturday, December 19, 2PM and 8PM

Sunday, December 20, 2PM and 7PM

Wednesday, December 23, 2PM and 7PM

Thursday, December 24, 2PM

Saturday, December 26, 2PM and 8PM

Sunday, December 27, 2PM and 7PM

About Texas Ballet Theater

Texas Ballet Theater is the only fully professional classical ballet company in North Texas and is honored to be the only arts organization to serve as resident company for both leading performance venues in Dallas and Fort Worth - Winspear Opera House and Bass Performance Hall. TBT is an internationally recognized company built on a rich 53-year history; it boasts a repertoire that is creative, expressive and collaborative.

About Ben Stevenson

Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., a native of Portsmouth, England, began his dance training at the Arts Educational School in London and became a principal dancer with the English National Ballet. An internationally renowned choreographer, his works include full-length versions of Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and original productions such as Three Preludes, Mozart Requiem and Four Last Songs.

Prior to joining TBT as Artistic Director, Stevenson worked with some of the nation's premier companies, including the National and Houston Ballets, and his works have been staged across the world. For his contribution to the arts, Queen Elizabeth II named Mr. Stevenson an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.). He also was awarded the Texas Medal of Arts in 2005.

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