Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker dances onto the Centre for Performing Arts stage, December 7 to 10

A Canadian theme distinguishes Vancouver’s only professional production of the timeless classic

Ballet BC presents Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker December 7 to 10 at the Centre for Performing Arts

DANCING SNOWFLAKES, the Waltz of the Flowers, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and an evil Mouse King: Nutcracker is back, with Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s version featuring a distinctly Canadian theme. Think busby-hatted RCMP officers, a hockey game on a frozen pond, a battle on Parliament Hill, snowball fights, polar bears, and even Hudson’s Bay blankets.

Commissioned by André Lewis, who wanted a Nutcracker Canadians could call their own, the rendition choreographed by Galina Yordanova and Nina Menon takes place at the turn of last century. It’s set to Pytor Ilich Tchaikovsky’s beloved score and features dazzling costumes by Paul Daigle and scenic design—magical and wintry—by Brian Perchaluk.

For tickets and more details, see https://balletbc.com/performance/nutcracker2023/.

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Gail Johnson

Gail Johnson is cofounder of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.

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