Nutcracker coming to Homewood

As the holiday season approaches, the Alabama Ballet is getting ready to present “The Nutcracker.”

The Alabama Ballet is one of eight companies licensed by The George Balanchine Trust to perform his version of “The Nutcracker.”

Ashlyn McClellan, Alabama Ballet’s public relations and marketing manager, said Balanchine’s version of “The Nutcracker” provides more dancing compared to other productions.

“It’s a dancer’s ballet,” McClellan said. “A lot more of the traditional versions, the dancers don’t do too much other than the principals. Whereas in Balanchine’s version, the corp de ballet work is demanding and challenging for the dancers. It’s something that they work hard at perfecting.”

The Alabama Ballet also enlists around 100 children from the Birmingham area to participate in the community cast during the production. The community cast will get to perform with the professional cast during the show.

“The Nutcracker” performance also includes Tchaikovsky’s musical score.

McClellan said the story of “The Nutcracker” encapsulates the spirit of the holidays.

“It’s a story that everyone can identify with,” she said. “It’s about the holidays and the spirit of it. It crosses generations because everyone remembers going to see it as a child or taking their own children. People of all ages can enjoy it. It’s about the magic of Christmas.”

The Alabama Ballet will perform “The Nutcracker” at Samford University’s Wright Center from Dec. 13-15 and 20-22.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to alabamaballet.org.