The Nutcracker, Jazzed Up! 2026

This season's presentation of The Nutcracker, Jazzed Up! marks the twentieth year anniversary of the word-of-mouth sensation. The full-length ballet has played to sold out houses at the Aronoff's Center for the Arts, Jarson Kaplan Theater, The Theater @ de la Dance Center, and now at the wonderful Anderson Center Theater.

With a large cast of dancers, this enjoyable reinterpretation of the yuletide classic returns once again to delight Cincinnati audiences. Artistic Directors Meridith Benson and Mario de la Nuez bring together a cast of over sixty talented dancers that transform the classic ballet into a fun and magical production. The Nutcracker, Jazzed Up! has caught people's attention because it breathes new life into a family classic. This full-length production combines Tchaikovsky's classical composition with Duke Ellington's jazz “re-imagining" of The Nutcracker.

As the ballet opens, the audience is invited to a party set in 1940s New York City with dancers swinging and bopping through Duke Ellington's jazz score. The arrangements remain faithful to Tchaikovsky's music, but allow the audience to enjoy new colors and rhythms in the music and choreography. In the second act, the stage is transformed into the magical Kingdom of Sweets and fantasy in which the full cast of classical dancers enchant the audience with traditional elements and the familiar, beautiful classic ballet choreography.

DE LA Dance Company's The Nutcracker, Jazzed Up! is a wonderful way to start the holiday season!