It is the traditional holiday performance, and yet when performed by the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, everything you thought you knew about The Nutcracker melts away.

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has over twenty years experience as a nationally recognized dance company. Their work ranges from modern ballet to traditional all the way to Folklorico. This incredible range of performance allows choreographers and dancers alike the liberty to bring a new interpretation to traditional pieces such as The Nutcracker, while retaining the timeless storyline.

This year’s performance will feature vibrant costumes and incredible sets, along with a cast of 60 dancers, actors and circus artists.  The combined effort of the dancers, costumers, producers and directors will bring to life Clara, her father, The Nutcracker, soldiers – all the way down to the tiny mice and the Rat King in a moving and unforgettable performance.

In a collaboration of dancers and influences from both Aspen and Santa Fe, the ASFB splits its time between Aspen and Santa Fe, when not touring the country and the world. This year their Winter Season will feature The Nutcracker in Aspen and Santa Fe, as well as in Omaha, Nebraska. However, the Winter Season does not stop there, MOMIX – Botanica will round out its Winter season, debuting in Aspen in January, while a new ballet by choreographer Norbert De La Cruz III will take the stage in February. This year’s tour will include stops in Virginia, Florida, Utah and Missouri, where the ASFB will perform into late winter and early spring.  The ASFB will end their winter tour with a performance in Chicago in the late spring with Jiri Klian’s Stamping Ground, in addition to other pieces.

Because the Aspen, Snowmass Village and Santa Fe communities love and generously support their local, but nationally acclaimed ballet, the ASFB is able to give back to their home towns by offering free ballet and Folklorico experiences to middle school and elementary school students within Pitkin County and Santa Fe. Firmly ensconced with the idea that the celebration of the arts, and particularly dance, inspires, “a new generation of creative thinkers and artists.” The ASFB uses its resources to create safe, healthy and affordable experiences for the children within their communities. True to their roots in the Southwest, the ASFB wants to encourage education and celebration of the rich culture of Mexican heritage in the Southwest.

While ASFB is an essential and critical aspect of Aspen and Snowmass Village and their respective communities, it is not  uncommon for successful art endeavors or businesses to give back to the less fortunate in Pitkin County. Aspen and Snowmass Village pride themselves on the intimate relationships between all residents and their reciprocating willingness to pitch in to make the world and their community a better place.

Don’t miss your chance to see ASFB’s version of The Nutcracker on December 17^th and 18^th at the Aspen District Theatre with matinee and an evening performances. Tickets begin at $20 and go up to $74. Contact Aspen Show Tickets for more information.

You can see The Nutcracker almost anywhere during the Holiday season. However, no one brings the flair, refinement and sophistication found in the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Make the ASFB your Holiday tradition, and with it, make Aspen/Snowmass Village your home. Click here to see homes, condos and properties tucked away in a community that cherishes fine art, along with a deep sense of community.

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