New York City Ballet (NYCB) will open its annual season of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® on November 26, at 8pm at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The 2021 season of the holiday classic, sponsored by The Travelers Companies, Inc., will include 47 performances through January 2, 2022.
Set to Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky’s score, NYCB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® features choreography by Balanchine, scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, costumes by Karinska and lighting by Mark Stanley, after the original lighting design by Ronald Bates. The production features the Company’s entire roster of dancers and musicians, as well as two alternating casts of children from the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of NYCB.
As previously announced, and in keeping with current New York City mandates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, all employees of NYCB, including its performers, are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to work onsite at Lincoln Center. For performances of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, this will include the SAB students appearing in the production. As children under the age of 12 are currently not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine per FDA and CDC guidelines, this year only students 12 or older who are fully vaccinated will be permitted to perform in the production.
Audience members 12 years of age or older attending performances of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® will need to present proof of vaccination to be admitted to the theater. Children under the age of 12, and those who are not able to be vaccinated because of a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief, will be permitted to attend performances of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® with proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before the performance.
As a further tool to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, NYCB will require proper mask usage for all patrons, regardless of age or vaccination status, at all NYCB performances. Additional safety measures that will be in place at the David H. Koch Theater will include an upgraded auditorium ventilation system, rigorous cleaning and sanitation protocols, and a contactless entrance experience,
In addition, up until noon on the day of performance, NYCB will offer audience members the opportunity to exchange their tickets or receive refunds for performances of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® free of charge.
Given the complexities of the situation and the continuing evolution of government and medical guidelines and requirements around the COVID-19 pandemic, NYCB will continue to evaluate these protocols and make adjustments as needed. For updates on the most current safety protocols, visit nycballet.com/safety. For questions, contact customercare@nycballet.com.
Tickets for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® will go on sale to the general public on October 11, at nycballet.com, by phone at (212) 496-0600 and in person at the theater box office.
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