If you’re looking for some Christmas magic, a special event for children to attend, and a way to give back during the holiday season, look no further than the Community Nutcracker! For two years my daughter performed in the Community Nutcracker — a performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Ballet with three public performances every December. The performing company is made up of local dance talent with more than 200 dancers from all over Northeast Florida, ranging in age from 9 to adult. All area dance students are invited to audition in August, and a “role reveal” is held that evening in an exciting unveiling event. They also bring in two professional company performers to dance the roles of Snow Queen and Snow King in Act I, as well as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier in Act II.
Held at the Florida Theatre, the Community Nutcracker is the only nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that offers a portion of its proceeds to local charitable agencies with each performance and has donated over $900,000 in the past 32 years! More than 2,000 free tickets are issued to various Jacksonville agencies, organizations, nonprofits, and nursing homes to attend the Community Service Night performance. Approximately 60,000 students from area schools, 36,000 clients and patients of local nonprofits, various community service organizations, and nearly 182,400 guests of all ages have attended.
As a dancer, this ballet experience for my daughter gave her an opportunity to work with area dance teachers outside her studio, perform onstage multiple times, fulfill her community service hours for school, and have hours of fun with her friends, all of whom also participated in various roles. If you have a child who dances, I highly recommend participating for all the opportunities for growth this event provides!
Make an evening of it by having dinner downtown before or after the show. Children dress in their holiday finest for this event, and the beautiful Florida Theatre provides an exceptional venue for the performance with all its traditional splendor.
About the 33rd Annual Community Nutcracker
This year’s 33rd annual Community Nutcracker will be held at the Florida Theatre the weekend of December 13 with three shows: Friday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, December 14 matinee at 1 p.m.; and Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 p.m. Click here for ticket information.
