Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
Phoenix Ballet will take Artistic Director Slawomir Woźniak’s production of The Nutcracker to Washington, D.C., for the first time, with four performances scheduled Saturday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026.
The performances will be presented at the Atlas Performing Arts Center before the company returns to Arizona for nine performances over two weekends at the Herberger Theater Center on Dec. 12-13 and the Arizona Financial Theatre on Dec. 18-20, according to a press release.
“Bringing ‘THE NUTCRACKER’ to Washington, D.C., for the first time is an exciting milestone for Phoenix Ballet and a wonderful opportunity for our dancers to share their talent with a new audience,” Slawomir Woźniak, artistic director of Phoenix Ballet, said.
“This production is a holiday tradition we love sharing with families in Phoenix, and we look forward to bringing that same joy and magic to audiences in our nation’s capital before returning home to the stage.”
In Washington, D.C., Phoenix Ballet will present the production in partnership with Master Ballet Academy DC, the East Coast location of the Scottsdale-based school that serves as the ballet company’s official academy.
Mr. Woźniak’s production follows Clara on Christmas Eve after she receives a wooden Nutcracker from her godfather. The story follows her journey as the Nutcracker comes to life, battles the Mouse King and leads her into a winter realm. Set to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s score, the ballet features snowfall, the Kingdom of Flowers, dancing mice, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Russian Dance.
The Washington performances mark the first time Phoenix Ballet has taken its holiday production to the nation’s capital.
