Make it A Tchaikovsky Tchristmas

Christmas in St. Louis means two things will happen. First, the local weather people will tease the possibility of a white Christmas even if temperatures are in the 60s on Christmas Eve. Second, you're gonna witness a performance of The Nutcracker. Perhaps no dance company in town makes it easier for you to unlock that second holiday achievement than Saint Louis Ballet. With thirteen performances of Tchaikovsky's fairy tale ballet in a ten-day span, you actually have to exert more effort to not attend than to go. Saint Louis Ballet artistic director Gen Horiuchi has choreographed the show for a modern audience, but with the utmost tradition for the ballet form so that the story of young Clara and her magical Christmas night adventure with a heroic Nutcracker and a menacing Mouse King remains accessible and enchanting. Saint Louis Ballet presents The Nutcracker at 7 p.m. Friday, December 14; 2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday, December 15; 2 p.m. Sunday, December 16; 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 19; and 2:30 and 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday (December 20 through 23). All performances take place at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus (1 University Drive at Natural Bridge Road; 314-516-4949 or www.touhill.org). Tickets are $17 to $49.
Dec. 14-16; Dec. 19-23, 2012