Florida Dance Arts Tickets
Youkey Theatre - RP Funding Center | Lakeland, Florida
The holiday winds have come once again, and with them, The Florida Dance Arts' presentation of The Nutcracker LIVE on Saturday, December 16th, at the Youkey Theatre! Join Clara in a miraculous Christmas adventure alongside her valiant Nutcracker prince. Battle the seven-headed Mouse King, dance with the forestland snowflakes, and celebrate with the Sugar Plum Fairy in two hours of pure yuletide magic that’ll surely sate your spiritual sweet tooth! Florida Dance Arts is excited to present two guest dancers for this year’s production: Taryn Pachciarz from Kansas City Ballet and Craig Wasserman from New York City. The Nutcracker first graced the stage in 1892 as a classical ballet adapted from Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann’s 1816 short story, with compositions by the legendary Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Today, it has transformed into an enduring holiday tradition that families enjoy together every year. Book your tickets now and get the best seats in front of the Youkey Theatre’s marvelous stage!
Close your eyes and step into the wondrously wintery world of The Nutcracker, presented to you live by the Florida Dance Arts company! The theatrical Christmas tradition will open on December 16th, Saturday evening, at the Youkey Theatre, where families will be welcome to witness the timeless tale that captured the world’s imagination over a hundred years ago!
"Join us for an evening of magic, whimsy, and adventure as Clara journeys to the land of sweets in the classic story of THE NUTCRACKER.”
Tag along with Clara and her princely Nutcracker and embark on a rollicking Christmas quest as the clock strikes midnight! Watch their fierce battle against the seven-headed Mouse King and his army of mice in the first act’s thrilling climax. The pair will then venture into the Land of Snow, where snowflakes waltz across the forest trees, and then onto the Land of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy awaits them with festive celebrations!
Most of the production’s cast, including the courageous Clara, is yet to be unveiled. However, two names have been drawn from the hat! Let’s send our sincerest cheers to Kansas City Ballet dancer Taryn Pachciarz as the Sugar Plum Fairy and NYC-based freelance dancer Craig Wasserman as the fairy’s Cavalier.
This year’s production is also made possible thanks to the following sponsors: Highland School of Dance, Tina Sargeant, SouthState Bank, TEAMWORKnet, and the Lakeland Mayor's Council on the Arts.
The Nutcracker is an 1892 classical ballet conceived by legendary Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Its story is adapted from “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” a novella written by German author Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann and published in 1816. The ballet’s score would later become one of Tchaikovsky’s most famous compositions, traditionally featured in North American productions of The Nutcracker since its boom in the late 1960s.
Lakeland’s Youkey Theatre promises a viewing experience that will transcend reality itself as it presents Florida Dance Arts: The Nutcracker LIVE on Saturday, December 16th, 2023. A veritable hotspot for the biggest Broadway tours, the 2,200-capacity indoor performance venue is fitted with the latest staging technology and the most comfortable seats you’ve had the pleasure of sinking into. Grab your tickets now, and remember, the show starts at 7 pm!
