FORT SMITH, Ark. — Watching a live performance of "The Nutcracker," a classic Christmas ballet, evokes feelings of childlike wonder and imagination that can only be understood by those who have had the experience.
Through leaping and waltzing and heart-grabbing, cinematic music, spectators are taken on the magical journey of a young girl’s Christmas Eve dream, complete with the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, a villainous mouse, the Land of Sweets and a nutcracker that turns into a prince.
The Nutcracker is something everyone should experience at least once if possible, and for three nights this December, families in the River Valley will have the opportunity to make magical holiday memories while attending a local performance of the timeless ballet.
Western Arkansas Ballet (WAB) will host performances of its 35th annual production of The Nutcracker at Arkansas Best Performing Arts Center in Fort Smith on Dec. 11-12 at 7:00 p.m. and on Dec. 13 at 2:00 p.m
WAB's production of the ballet consists of a cast of over 100 children and adults.
Brianna Hagar and Jared Mesa from WAB will be this year's Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier, and Paul Tillman from Ballet Arkansas will be the Nutcracker Prince.
The Nutcracker is full of mystery and excitement, but it also has symbols of hope, renewal and the triumph of good over evil.
In an article titled, "Why We Love the Nutcracker," the Foundation for Economic Education wrote, "The gift of the nutcracker first breaks and the child cries, but then a magician arrives to put it back together again, and it grows and grows until it becomes real and then, a true love. You can make any symbol you want to out of this little man, but it is not a stretch to see it as a symbol of the economic life of this nation and many other nations at the time. There was no limit to prosperity, no limit to growth, no end to the magic that could come to the world. Something that broke could be fixed and grow to a new life."
For ticket information, call (479) 785-0152 or visit the WAB Box Office on Grand Ave. between 11:00 a.m and 4:00 p.m. until Thursday (Dec. 10). Tickets will not be sold online this year due to COVID-19 seating restrictions.
WAB will be following the Arkansas Department of Health safety guidelines, and all attendees must wear a mask while inside the theatre.
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