South Florida’s winter may trade snowdrifts for sea breezes, but “The Nutcracker” remains one tradition that needs no cold front. This December, families across Miami-Dade and Broward will once again follow Marie into her shimmering dreamscape, where toy soldiers march, snowflakes whirl, and the Sugarplum Fairy twinkles like holiday lights.
Beloved across the United States since the mid-20th century, “The Nutcracker” traces its roots back to Russia, where Tchaikovsky’s now-iconic score premiered in 1892. The music achieved fame before the ballet itself; it wasn’t until George Balanchine’s 1954 production for New York City Ballet that the work became iconic in the American holiday canon.
This month, South Florida offers several interpretations — classic, community-driven, and uniquely Miami — each infusing the story with its own magic.
This season, two ballet companies will produce “The Nutcracker,” Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida and Miami City Ballet. Each has its own architect of that magic: Miami City Ballet is helmed by the dynamic artistic director Gonzalo García and Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida is headed by the modest, understated artistic director Vladimir Issaev. Both carry “The Nutcracker” tradition forward in their distinctive ways, and both believe deeply in its power to shape young artists and family holiday memories.
ARTS BALLET THEATRE OF FLORIDA
(Patricia Laine Romero @Patriciasphotography)
Kanon Tanaka as Clara
“THE NUTCRACKER”
Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida brings its beloved annual production to the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center and The Parker in Fort Lauderdale, presenting the only full professional “Nutcracker” in Broward County.
Under the direction of Issaev, with ballet mistress Mary Carmen Catoya, this intimate company delivers a production filled with tradition and artistry — despite Issaev’s candid acknowledgment of tight budgets and big dreams.
(Photo by Ruby Issaev)
Vladimir Issaev of ABT
“What we do is all heart and art,” Issaev said. “It’s hard with a small budget to make these shows, but we do. We’re still working. I’m trying to educate our city to be more human, to have good artistic vision, and a good way.”
The cast features Arts Ballet’s professional dancers — including Remina Tanaka and Saaya Okada as the Sugarplum couple, plus Jose Luis Pechené, Andreas Cross, Nora Yun Schaeffer, Sebastian Cazares, and others — alongside talented students from the Vladimir Issaev School of Classical Ballet and guest artists Anita Vivas and Miguel Ferro. And there are about 40 children in this year’s production, most of them students from the ABT school.
Issaev believes that seeing young dancers on stage has a powerful ripple effect to inspire future dancers of the youth in the audience:
“We go to public schools with our programs,” said Issaev. “Some of those children come to register and start dancing.”
This commitment to community carries over to his making the shows accessible for special needs children, this year with a performance at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 14.
“We do one special show for disabled children, for autistic children, and those with other conditions,” Issaev said. We make it shorter and take out the noisy stuff like explosions, for children who need special attention.”
Other Nutcracker events include the Nutcracker Gala at Aventura Arts & Cultural Center on Dec. 11; Arts Ballet Encounters, a pre-show talk with Issaev and the dancers, Dec. 11; a Nutcracker Tea Party on Dec. 6.
MIAMI CITY BALLET
(Photo by Alexander Iziliaev)
Dancers in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker in 2024. Choreography by George Balanchine © George Balanchine Trust. /
“GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER”
At the Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami City Ballet (MCB) continues a cherished tradition: George Balanchine’s definitive “The Nutcracker,” performed with full orchestra and staged under the artistic direction of Garcia, who carries forward the legacy begun by MCB founder Edward Villella.
Garcia, who danced the Balanchine version at Lincoln Center for 15 years, calls it the most iconic “Nutcracker” in America — and his personal favorite.
(Photo by Alexander Iziliaev)
Dancers in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker in 2024. Choreography by George Balanchine © George Balanchine Trust.
“We’re so lucky to have such a high-quality production,” Garcia said. “A few years ago it was redesigned by the Toledos, giving it a Miami vibe — the colors, the aesthetic. It’s unique. I’ve danced Nutcrackers all over the world, and this is by far my favorite.”
About 70 of MCB’s schoolchildren join the company dancers each year, something Garcia described as deeply meaningful. He sees his role as artistic director as a new kind of performance.
(Courtesy of Miami City)
Gonzalo Garcia Rehearsing
“Through my coaching and nurturing the students and dancers, I’m dancing with them,” said Garcia. “Seeing them achieve their goals is incredibly rewarding. Creating a program that excites Miami and South Florida — it’s stressful, but so rewarding.”
In this year’s MCB production, audiences will see many of the company’s acclaimed dancers in signature Balanchine roles. With the student dancers joining the professional ranks onstage, the production becomes a vibrant display of the company’s rising talent and the generational spirit at the heart of Balanchine’s Nutcracker.
LAND OF SWEETS: A PRE-SHOW EXPERIENCE
Back again this year at the MCB show is what promises to be an enchantingly immersive pre-show. Land of Sweets transforms 8,000 square feet of the Arsht Center into a multi-sensory holiday playground. Families are invited to arrive 90 minutes early to explore this photo-op heaven of glittery light projections, meet-and-greets with whimsical Nutcracker characters, and hands-on family activities. There is also the Sweet Lounge with cocktails and seasonal treats, where folks can relax while youngsters romp. Also, there is the Gingerbread Gift Shop for Nutcracker souvenirs. Entry the Land of Sweets is included with the ticket.
Picasa
Land of Sweet, and interactive Nutcracker experience at the Arsht Center
THE TRADITION THAT KEEPS DANCING
Both García and Issaev spoke passionately about the interaction between young dancers and seasoned professionals, and the joy of watching students grow into more advanced roles.
Russian-born Issaev, who began dancing at age seven and who has presided over countless Nutcrackers, said that what keeps this ballet alive year after year, is tradition.
“In Russia, you don’t have to see ‘The Nutcracker’ in December,” said Issaev. “You might see ‘Sleeping Beauty’ or ‘Swan Lake.’ But here in the U.S., “The Nutcracker” is the tradition. Children and their parents wait for this moment. Parents bring their children to ballet, and the arts help us all be more human.”
IF YOU GO
“The Nutcracker”
Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida
Aventura Arts & Cultural Center
3385 NE 188 St., Aventura
Dec. 11-14
The Parker
707 NE 8 St., Fort Lauderdale
Dec. 19-21
IF YOU GO
“George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker”
Miami City Ballet
Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
Dec. 12-28