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2021-2022 Season

The Nutcracker 2021

ABOUT THE SHOW

Enjoy the holiday season with Twin Cities most authentic Russian classical version of Nutcracker, set to Tchaikovsky’s timeless music, performance is faithful to the original Marius Petipa choreography.

TICKET PRICE RANGE $27-39


Big group discount. Every 10th ticket is FREE!

Coupon Code 10tickets


RUNNING TIME

One hour and 40 minutes with one 20-minute intermission

VENUE

Eden Prairie Performing Arts Center 

17185 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55346

DATES

DECEMBER 17-19,2021

Fri, Dec 17th | 7:00pm

Sat, Dec 18th |  2:00pm 

Sat, Dec 18th | 7:00pm

Sun, Dec 19th | 1:00pm

Friday, December 17 | 7:00pm
Saturday, December 18 | 2:00pm
Saturday, December 18 | 7:00pm
Sunday, December 19 | 1:00pm

2021 FEATURED GUEST ARTISTS

RYO MUNAKATA (Sugar Plum Cavalier)

Ryo Munakata started classical ballet training at the age of five at Etoile Ballet Studio studying under Misako Kawamura, Sergiy Savoschenko and other renowned instructors. He began entering in dance competitions at the age of ten and expanded his horizons by taking modern ballet lessons with Yuko Takahashi at 13.

Since 2010, Munakata studied at American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) summer intensive program in New York City by recommendation of dance instructor, Hilary Cartwright. He trained at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT from 2014-2016 and Manhattan Youth Ballet from 2015-2016.

Munakata joined Minnesota Ballet as a company member from 2016-2018 and Ballet West as a company member from 2018-2019 where he performed Rubies and Diamonds in Balanchine’s Jewels. He returned to Minnesota Ballet for the 2019-2020 season and has joined Rochester City Ballet for the 2020-2021 season. In 2018 Munakata was a finalist in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS and a semi-finalist in the 2019 International Ballet Choreography Competition in Beijing, China.

ANDREW LESTER (Nutcracker Prince)

Andrew Lester is an award-winning professional dancer based in St. Paul.  Andrew graduated with his BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota in 2006 and has gone on to become a staple of the Twin Cities dance community for almost 20 years. He was a full-time company member of James Sewell Ballet for six seasons. He has also been dancing with local modern company Shapiro & Smith Dance for over 12 years. As a freelance artist, he has collaborated with a variety of esteemed Minnesota companies, including Twin Cities Ballet of MN, Metropolitan Ballet, Continental Ballet, Eclectic Edge Ensemble, Ethnic Dance Theatre, Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, and the Minnesota Opera. In 2012, he was honored to receive a Sage Award for Outstanding Performer for his work in Shapiro & Smith’s Family and Joseph Morrissey's One. Career highlights include performing for modern dance legend Merce Cunningham, studying under the tutelage of celebrated ballerina Anna-Marie Holmes, and premiering Titicut Follies: The Ballet with James Sewell Ballet in New York City and at the Festival de Danse in Cannes, France.






SAMANTHA HOWE (Sugar Plum)

Samantha received her early ballet training at Connecticut Concert Ballet under the direction of Wendy Fish-Lawrence and David Lawrence. Originally from Deerfield, Massachusetts, she left home to train at Walnut Hill School for the Arts during her high school years. Upon graduating in 2017, Sam joined Ballet Austin’s fellowship program and second company where she had the opportunity to perform George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie, and Petipa’s Paquita Pas de Trois. She then joined Ballet Tucson as a senior apprentice and is currently dancing with Rochester City Ballet. Being in the corps de ballet of George Balanchine’s Concerto Barroco has been her favorite moment on stage so far in her professional career. 

KATHERINE HESTERBERG (Snow Solo)

Katherine is a Minneapolis-based performer, company founder, and dance instructor.  She has danced professionally and toured state-wide with Continental Ballet Company, St. Paul City Ballet, Metropolitan Ballet, and Ballet Minnesota. Katherine is the founder of the 501(3)c non-profit ballet company Minneapolis Ballet Dancers. The company has served as a platform to give opportunities to local professional artists to choreograph and perform their own works. Originally from Wasilla, Alaska Katherine began her early years of dance training based in Vaganova at Anchorage Classical Ballet Academy/Dancer’s Workshop. From the years 2006-2010, she studied the classical technique of Cecchetti as well as tap and jazz, achieving a BFA degree in ballet from Friends University under the direction of Stan Rogers. During that time, she had the honor of working with artists such as Shawn Stevens from New York City Ballet and Dominic Walsh from Houston Ballet/Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre and also had the pleasure of sharing the stage with globally-known guest artists such as Wendy Whalen, Philip Neal, Frederica Vincisori, and Melody Herrera. She has also had the privilege of working with Alaska Dance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Tuscan, Atlanta Festival Ballet, and TU Dance in summer programs. In 2015 she choreographed and directed North Ballet Academy’s productions of Nutcracker and Coppelia. She became certified in the teaching Progressing Ballet Technique in 2018. Katherine has been dancing for 29 years and currently teaches at Northern Force Dance Company.

ALEC TRELSTAD (Rat King)

Alec is a dancer, actor, and visual artist native to Minnesota.  He has performed at multiple venues around the twin cities including Ritz Theater, The Guthrie Theater, The Cowles Center.  This is Alec’s first classical ballet appearance through MN Ballet School’s training and is excited to be afforded the chance to dance. “I encourage dancers of any discipline or style to really immerse yourself in this amazing art form. It will challenge you, make you more confident in technique and push your boundaries of musical expression.”    

ALEXIA WEST (Snowflakes Solo)

Alexia is a ballet teacher at Inspire Ballet Academy. She began her training at the age of 9 under the teachings of Stephanie Heston and Alexander Smirnov.  She spent spring of 2014 at Minnesota Ballet School, where the knowledge she developed allowed her to make it into the Gelsey Kirkland Academy in NYC. She performed in the company’s Nutcracker while enrolled in the pre-professional program. After her year at GKA, she replaced dancing with teaching. Alexia is proud to make a return to the stage with MBT. 

Event COVID-19 Preparedness Plan

Safety and screening

Staff and visitors attending the event are asked to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms using the Stay Safe MN Health Screening Checklist. Staff and visitors exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 during their visit will be asked to leave the venue.

COVID vaccines are being administered across Minnesota. We encourage attendees to get vaccinated before attending. Vaccines are the best way to prevent infection and limit the spread of COVID-19 to others. For more information, see the MDH COVID-19 Vaccine webpage.

Masks

Masks are required for all guests ages 3 and older, regardless of vaccination status,  except people with health conditions. Face coverings may be temporarily removed while eating or drinking provided that physical distancing is maintained. If staff and visitors arrive without a mask, masks are available at the box office.

Ticketing

Ticket purchases are encouraged to be completed prior to arriving to Event. However, walk-up sales will be permitted and patrons can purchase tickets at the Box Office. All patrons are strongly encouraged to use mobile tickets, delivered to their personal devices.

Downloads

MBT 2021Nutcracker Poster (pdf)Download
MBT_2021_Nutcracker_Program_121321_WEB-2 (pdf)Download

We Need Your Support Now

Now more than ever, we need your support. Please consider contributing, to help us during this critical time. Every contribution is significant in helping us to sustain operations, and deeply appreciated by everyone at MBT.With your support, we will once again prevail during this precarious time.

Pay with PayPal or a debit/credit card

Photo Gallery of Nutcracker 2020

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.

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Minnesota Ballet Theatre

14675 Martin Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344, United States 612.501.9208 minnesotaballettheatre@gmail.com


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