The holidays bring traditions, and one favorite is “The Nutcracker” ballet with three local companies performing it in November and December.
Colton Ballet Company opens the Christmas season Thanksgiving weekend with five performances at the Imperial Theatre.
It’s the 54th year that Colton’s dancers have brought to life Clara’s journey into the Land of the Sweets.
The late Ron Colton, director emeritus of the Colton Ballet Company danced with famed choreographer George Balanchine in the 1950s and staged after the version the New York City Ballet continues to perform.
Joining performance this year are multiple guest artists. They include Sol Baird and Brian Joe; Olivia Powell of Diablo Ballet of San Francisco; John Mingle of Alabama Ballet; and Ephraim Fowler and Avery Jarrard of Georgia Ballet. The cast also includes former dancers who trained under Zanne Colton, as well as students from the Colton Ballet School of Augusta, according to a news release.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, and at 1 and 5 p.m. Nov. 29-30 at the Imperial Theatre. For tickets, go here.
The Augusta Ballet will return to the Columbia County Performing Arts Center Dec. 6 for its production.
Carrie Preus, former principal dancer for Ballet Spartanburg, returns to the Augusta area to perform as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Preus grew up in the Augusta area and trained under Augusta Ballet artistic director, Ron Jones. She danced the role last year. Read more about her here.
Performances will be at 2 and 7 p.m. For tickets, go here.
The Aiken Civic Ballet will bring “The Nutcracker” to the University of South Carolina Etherredge Center.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 19-20 and .at 3 p.m. Dec. 21.
For tickets, go here.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here..
