Now that the turkey coma has worn off, have the The Nutcracker bon-bons started dancing in your head? The time has come to pack up the family and head out for this grand tradition, which would certainly shock the ballet’s original choreographers, Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, as well as composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. When it debuted in 1892, it wasn’t exactly successful.
In present day, Americans flock to see the many variations of the ballet based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s “The Nutcracker and The Mouse King,” and South Carolina has many opportunities to experience it. The state’s local performances all have something different to offer, from children playing the main roles to Russian dancers giving special performances. Here is a rundown of what the Palmetto State has to offer this season.
Charleston:
Mount Pleasant Performing Arts Company, (843) 771-6303.
* Charleston Southern University, Lightsey Chapel Auditorium, 9200 University Blvd.
* Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m.
* Tickets: $15 in advance, $18 at the door.
Charleston Ballet, (843) 723-7334.
* North Charleston Performing Arts Center, 5001 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston.
* Saturday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 16, at 3 p.m.
* Tickets: $25-$47.
Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker.
* North Charleston Performing Arts Center, 5001 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston.
* Sunday, Dec. 23, at 3 and 7 p.m.
* Tickets: $30-$105.
Columbia:
Columbia Classical Ballet.
* Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene St.
* Friday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m.
* Saturday, Dec. 1, at 3 and 7:30 p.m.
* Sunday, Dec. 2, at 3 p.m.
* Tickets: $5-$32
Columbia City Ballet.
* Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene St.
* Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8-9, at 3 and 7:30 p.m.
* Friday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
* Saturday, Dec. 15, at 3 and 7:30 p. m.
* Sunday, Dec. 16, at 3 p.m.
* Tickets: $28, $38
Florence:
South Carolina Dance Theatre.
* Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center, 201 South Dargan St.
* Friday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m.
* Saturday, Dec. 8, at 3 and 7:30 p.m.
* Sunday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m.
* Tickets: $22, $27, $32
Greenville:
Carolina Ballet Theatre (864) 476-3000
* Peace Center Concert Hall, 300 S. Main St.
* Friday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m.
* Saturday, Dec. 1, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
* Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m.
* Tickets: $40
Greenville Ballet
* McAlister Auditorium, Furman University, 3300 Poinsett Highway
* Saturday, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m.
* Tickets: $21, $23, $25
Orangeburg:
Orangeburg Civic Ballet
* Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium, South Carolina State University
* Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m.
* Sunday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m.
* Tickets: $12