PERFORMANCE DATES
ABOUT THE SHOW
Celebrate 25 years of holiday magic with Minnesota Ballet Theatre’s beloved production of “The Nutcracker”!
Join us for the Twin Cities’ most authentic Russian classical presentation of this timeless holiday tradition, set to Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score.
For 25 years, our production has brought the beauty and artistry of classical ballet to the community. Staying true to the original Marius Petipa choreography and Russian ballet traditions, this enchanting performance captures the magic, elegance, and wonder of the holiday season.
Be transported into Clara’s dreamlike journey as the Nutcracker Prince, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and a cast of unforgettable characters bring this cherished story to life on stage.
Celebrate this special milestone with your family and create treasured holiday memories that will last for generations.
Join us for our 25th Anniversary Nutcracker celebration — reserve your seats today!
Ticket Price Range: $33–$45
25TH ANNIVERSARY VIP EXPERIENCE — $75
Make your visit to The Nutcracker even more memorable with our exclusive VIP Experience!
Your VIP ticket includes:
• Premium seating in the best locations in the theater
• Exclusive backstage access before the performance
• Meet-and-greet and photo opportunities with our dancers
• Commemorative Nutcracker poster signed by our artists
• Priority theater entry
• Complimentary cookies and bottled water during intermission
IMPORTANT VIP ARRIVAL INFORMATION
VIP guests wishing to participate in the backstage experience should arrive 30 minutes before the performance.
Please follow the signs to the designated VIP Meeting Point, where our team will welcome you and guide you backstage.
Arriving on time ensures you have the opportunity to meet the dancers, take photographs, and enjoy this special experience before the curtain rises.
Discover More About Our VIP Experience →
RUNNING TIME
Approximately 2 hours, including one 20-minute intermission
VENUE
Eden Prairie Performing Arts Center
17185 Valley View Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55346
Featured Guest Artists The Nutcracker 2026
Lilit Hogtanian (Sugar Plum Fairy)
Mushegh Avetisyan (Sugar Plum Fairy Cavalier)
Mushegh Avetisyan (Sugar Plum Fairy Cavalier)
Lilit Hogtanian is a Los Angeles native who began her ballet training under Yuri Grigoriev. She later graduated from the Académie Princesse Grace in Monaco, where she studied under the direction of Marika Bessobrazova and Luca Masala.
Her professional career has included engagements with the Slovak National Theatre, Ballet Memphis, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Los Angeles Ballet. Following her performances as Clara in Los Angeles Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, Lilit was recognized by the Los Angeles Times as a “Face to Watch.”
She was a semifinalist at the Prix de Lausanne in 2008 and a First Place winner at Youth America Grand Prix, Long Beach.
Her repertoire includes the Sylph in La Sylphide, the Autumn Fairy in Michael Corder’s Cinderella, Diana and Actaeon, as well as featured roles in Nacho Duato’s Coming Together, Matthew Neenan’s Darting Eyes, William Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, and George Balanchine’s Square Dance and Minkus Pas de Trois.
Minnesota Ballet Theatre is delighted to welcome Lilit Hogtanian as the Sugar Plum Fairy in our 25th Anniversary production of The Nutcracker.
Mushegh Avetisyan (Sugar Plum Fairy Cavalier)
Mushegh Avetisyan (Sugar Plum Fairy Cavalier)
Mushegh Avetisyan (Sugar Plum Fairy Cavalier)
Mushegh Avetisyan is an internationally acclaimed professional ballet dancer whose career has taken him to stages across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
He received his training at the Yerevan State Choreographic College in Armenia and the Voronezh Choreographic School in Russia. His professional experience includes the Armenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre in Moscow, as well as guest principal and soloist engagements with numerous companies throughout the United States and internationally.
Avetisyan has performed leading roles in Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle, La Bayadère, The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, La Sylphide, and The Sleeping Beauty, among others.
His competition honors include the Bronze Medal at the 2025 World Ballet Competition in Orlando and the Bronze Medal at the 2026 Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition in New York.
Minnesota Ballet Theatre is delighted to welcome Mushegh Avetisyan as the Sugar Plum Cavalier in our 25th Anniversary production of The Nutcracker.
Ballet Brilliance: Supporting Excellence
We're immensely grateful for your unwavering support. Minnesota Ballet Theatre (MBT) has been a cultural cornerstone in the Twin Cities since 2014. With your belief in our mission, MBT continues to inspire audiences and nurture a love for dance. Your donation fuels our efforts, supporting artist salaries and innovative productions for our local community. Thank you for making a difference.
NUTCRACKER GALLERY
Repertoire
Peter and the Wolf
Great Halloween Adventure
Carnival of the Animals
"Peter and the Wolf' is the tale of a brave little boy, who together with his friend the bird, traps a frightening wolf who is threatening the safety of the village," according to a news release.
"Musical instruments in the orchestral accompaniment represent each character in the ballet; narration throughout the performance helps the audience follow the story. The narrative assists even the youngest audience members in appreciating the delightful dances of Peter, Bird, Cat, Duck, Wolf and even Grandfather."
Carnival of the Animals
Great Halloween Adventure
Carnival of the Animals
This ever-popular musical work by Camille Saint-Saëns is now enhanced with dance steps in a new and thoroughly entertaining Ballet. The Carnival has never been so alive! The animals are having a carnival. There's the majestic lion, the braying mules, the dancing elephant, and the bouncy kangaroos. Even the fossils invited! With following most famous Dying Swan choreographed by Michael Fokin for Anna Pavlova. A timeless children's classic Carnival of the Animals Is clever, charming and musically sophisticated.
Great Halloween Adventure
Great Halloween Adventure
Great Halloween Adventure
Original Halloween Adventure — an exciting (and only slightly spooky) dance production for the whole family. Spooky things can happen on Halloween, but the forces of Good are very strong, and Good will win out in the end.
Paquita
Les Sylphides (Chopiniana)
Great Halloween Adventure
Grand Pas from the ballet “Paquita” is known worldwide for its choreography by M. Petipa and music by Leon Minkus. "Colorful costumes, inventive choreography and ageless music combine to make a memorable experience for theatergoers of all ages," the release said.
Les Sylphides (Chopiniana)
Les Sylphides (Chopiniana)
Les Sylphides (Chopiniana)
Originally entitled Chopiniana, this ballet was first premiered in St. Petersburg in 1907 at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint PetersburgRestructured and presented in the first 1909 Ballets Russes season in Paris under Diaghilev's title, Les Sylphides, Fokine created this dance suite unifying music and movement in an implied drama of Romanticism. Les Sylphides is famous as the first "abstract" classical ballet without narrative structure or defined characters.