Roxey Ballet's 'Nutcracker' Opens Thanksgiving Weekend

FRENCHTOWN, NJ — Roxey Ballet welcomes the holiday season with its long-standing community tradition, the American holiday classic, "The Nutcracker."

Roxey’s 28th "Nutcracker" will feature young dancers from throughout the region who are given the opportunity to dance alongside Roxey Ballet’s roster of world-class professional dancers. The blend of students and company dancers inspires the community with a production full of world-class talent and familiar faces.

This year the dancers that are cast in the lead role of Clara, Charlotte Liddell and Katie Schied, are both students from New Hope. The remainder of the cast is a blend of international professional dancers, students from Mill Ballet School, and local towns throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania including Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset, Middlesex, and Bucks Counties.

The Nutcracker is directed by Mark Roxey, co-founder of the professional company, and features more than 200 costumes designed by Alicia Worden and Nilda Roxey with lighting by Jeffrey Goldstein.

Recognized as "the most family-friendly production" in the region and a beloved community tradition, Roxey’s Nutcracker provides the perfect introduction to ballet for children of all ages and is a timeless holiday performance enjoyed by adults. It is a magical spectacle created by Mark and Melissa Roxey, founders of The Roxey Ballet Company and The Mill Ballet School.

Beginning Thanksgiving weekend and continuing into December, The Nutcracker will be performed at Villa Victoria Theater in Ewing, N.J. The story of The Nutcracker features Clara and her friends as they take the audience on an enchanting journey to meet magical mice, giant rats, marching soldiers, swirling snowflakes, waltzing flowers, and the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy. Brilliant costumes and elaborate sets bring to life a heart-lifting magical voyage that ushers in the holiday spirit.

Four weekend performances at 2 p.m. take place on Saturday and Sunday, November 25 and 26 and December 2 and 3, and a school/child matinee is offered on Friday, Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. at Villa Victoria Theater. Tickets are available at roxeyballet.org/nutcracker. Virtual tickets are also available.

Making the arts accessible to all is the mission of Roxey Ballet. A sensory-friendly performance of The Nutcracker will be held on Saturday, Dec.9 at 3 p.m. at Mill Ballet in New Hope. The performance is suitable for children and adults with ASD and other special needs or sensitivities. Adaptations to the performance include decreased sound levels, elimination of special effects, reduced length of performance, and increased house lighting. It is also a great option for very young children, providing a relaxed atmosphere with the freedom to move around.

Tickets are available at roxeyballet.org/sensory-friendly-nutcracker and virtual tickets are also available. For the youngest fans of The Nutcracker, Roxey Ballet will offer three Sugar Plum Story Times at public libraries during the month of December. Join the Sugar Plum Fairy as she takes the audience on a journey through the magical Land of the Sweets with a reading, performance, and dance class given by professional dancers from Roxey Ballet.

These events are free and open to the public and take place on Wednesday, Dec. 6 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Montgomery Library, Thursday, Dec. 7 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Hillsborough Library, and Saturday, Dec. 16 at 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Bridgewater Library. More details can be found at roxeyballet.org/events.

Performances of The Nutcracker will take place at Villa Victoria Theater, 376 W Upper Ferry Rd. Ewing, NJ 08628. Virtual tickets are available for all performances. Visit roxeyballet.org/nutcracker for tickets and further details.