Northwest Florida Ballet Presents 45th Annual Production of The Nutcracker

Disclaimer: We are promoting this event on behalf of a local chamber member. This event is not managed or sponsored by the Destin Chamber.


Photo Credit: Lorelei White

As part of Season 55, the Northwest Florida Ballet (NFB) proudly presents the 45th annual production of The Nutcracker on Fri. and Sat., Nov. 22 and 23, at 7:30 p.m. and Sun., Nov. 24, at 2:30 p.m., at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center. As the only full-length version of the classic holiday fairytale in the area, NFB’s The Nutcracker cast of 140 performers includes international guest artists and more than 100 local children. The production also features live music by the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra (NFSO), led by NFB Music Director and Conductor David Ott.
 
“NFB’s The Nutcracker is a spectacular way to start the holiday season and celebrate the incredible talent of local dancers alongside world-renowned guest artists. The magic added by the live musical accompaniment also makes our production truly unique to the Emerald Coast,” said NFB Artistic Director/CEO Todd Eric Allen.
 
During this season’s production of The Nutcracker, Clara will be performed by Aleyna Jazayeri, with Jackson Greenwood as the high-spirited Fritz. Jazayeri and Greenwood are eighth and sixth-grade students at the NFB Académie. NFB’s Artistic Director/CEO, Todd Eric Allen, returns for his 29th appearance in the role of Drosselmeyer, while Lindsey White will entertain audiences as the vivacious Mouse Queen. International guest artists Daynelis Muñoz and Cincinnati Ballet principal dancer Rafael Quenedit will perform the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince Cavalier.
 
Guest artists Nikolas Gaifullin and Hannah Powell from New Orleans Ballet Theatre (NOBT) will perform the principal roles of Snow King and Queen in Act 1, and Powell will also dance the role of Dew Drop Fairy in Act II. Guest artist Telmen Munkherdene, also from NOBT, joins the NFB cast for the first time to delight audiences as the Harlequin Doll and Lead Russia Dancer. NFB Alumni Max Murdock will perform the roles of the Nutcracker prince and lead Spanish dancer with Aaliyah Guthrie. NFB dancer Sophia Killelea and NOBT guest artists Aaron Wiggins and Nikolas Gaifullin will perform the Arabian Pas de Trois. NFB’s Maille Blow will perform the leading role in the Dance of the Reed Flutes.
 
Ott, a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy award nominee, will lead the NFSO and provide live musical accompaniment for all public performances of NFB’s The Nutcracker. In his 9th year as the NFB Music Director, Ott has been cited among America’s most-performed composers of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The NFSO is the Emerald Coast’s premiere 65-piece professional orchestra under the leadership of Music Director Todd Craven and resides at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center.
 
Box office-priced tickets for The Nutcracker are $48 for adults and $22 for children 12 and under. Visit NFBallet.org/the-nutcracker to learn more about our cast or purchase tickets. The Nutcracker is brought to you by Season Production Sponsor, the Mattie Kelly Arts Center, and Season Signature Sponsors, Emerald Coast Magazine and NFBJS Foot & Ankle Surgeon Dr. Sonya Ahmed.