THE NUTCRACKER SCHOOL SHOWS

Sponsored by H-E-B and the Powell Foundation. Endowed by Edie Rogat & Cotter Cunningham through the Ballet Austin Foundation.

For the past two years, we protected the health and safety of students, teachers, and our artists by serving campuses digitally, with recordings of the production, rather than in-person performances. This process revealed to us the immense value of digital delivery as a tool for increasing access, equity, and service capacity. Campuses that had not previously been able to sustain even the nominal cost of our in-person performances, and campuses whose geographic location made travel to the Long Center impossible, were able to experience this production for the first time. In an effort to honor and deepen the connections we’ve made with new campuses over the past two seasons (while also serving campuses who prefer to attend in-person), we are expanding our offerings to include both live and digital performances.

For our 60th anniversary of The Nutcracker, our school show options will now include two days of in-person performances at the Long Center, plus five additional days of virtual performances (recorded in a livestream format on December 1, 2022) for campuses unable to attend at the theater.

The virtual performance of The Nutcracker Act I runs approximately 50 minutes long.

• Monday, December 12: viewing window 7:30am-3:30pm CST
• Tuesday, December 13: viewing window 7:30am-3:30pm CST
• Wednesday, December 14: viewing window 7:30am-3:30pm CST
• Thursday, December 15: viewing window 7:30am-3:30pm CST
• Friday, December 16: viewing window 7:30am-3:30pm CST

Students (minimum group size is 10 elementary-aged students):

Virtual Performance – Registration & Payment Schedule:

Please enter the following dates in your calendar now to insure you meet all registration and payment deadlines.

• Wednesday, September 7 at 10am CT: Early registration opens for all campuses.
• Friday, November 4 at 9am CT:
  • All registration changes are due.
  • Early registration closes. All payments are due for campuses that have already registered.
  • Late registrations accepted. Payment in full is due immediately for all late registrations.
• Wednesday, December 7 at 5pm CT: Registration closes.

Virtual Performance – Dates for Receiving Materials

• Monday,  November 14: All schools that have paid in full receive the link to The Nutcracker Docent Presentation videos and supplemental materials. All other schools receive these materials upon completion of payment.
• Monday, December 5: All schools that have paid in full receive the link to The Nutcracker School Show Virtual Livestream Performance.

You will need the following information ready to provide when you register:

• The date you prefer to attend the virtual school shows (December 12-16)
• Title I status for your campus
• Total # of students attending
• School name and district
• Total # of classrooms attending
• The grade level(s) of students attending the show
• Total # of teachers and aides attending
• Total # of students with special needs attending
• School contact information including billing address
• Your campus credit card to hold your registration order. NOTE: The card will be held on file to reserve your registration but will not be charged. You can pay your invoice at a later date by EFT/ACH, check, cash, or credit card.

Online Registration Process:

• During registration there will be general instructions that apply to anyone buying tickets. Any green text is specific to teachers.
• A credit card is required to hold your registration but will not be charged if you select to pay by a payment plan. Payment plans may be paid by check, electronic fund transfer, or credit card before the payment deadline on November 4. Purchase orders will not be accepted as payment.
• When registering, you will create an account so we can tie your registration to your campus. Guest checkout is not available for The Nutcracker School Shows.
• Upon registration, you will receive an order confirmation that will list the number of tickets reserved and the total amount due. This indicates that your order has been received.
• You will receive a separate email within 5 business days that has your invoice included with the payment deadline listed. This is your confirmation that you are registered for The Nutcracker School Shows Virtual Performance. 
• Any changes to your initial submission are due by November 4 and should be e-mailed directly to our Education Team.
• If you register on or after November 4 (late registration) payment will be due immediately upon registration, and will be charged to the card used during registration.

• Ballet Austin accepts EFT/ACH payments from several school districts, including AISD and Hutto ISD. If your district prefers payment by EFT/ACH and does not have that set up with us yet, please contact us to do so.
• Credit cards and checks are accepted.
• No purchase orders are accepted as payment.

Please note:

• Before November 4: You will need to enter a credit card number for your campus to register.  The card will be held on file to reserve your registration but will not be charged. You can pay your invoice at a later date by one of the methods listed above.
• On or after November 4: You will need a credit card for your campus to register, and the credit card will be charged immediately.
• There are no refunds for The Nutcracker School Shows Virtual Performances.

Thank you for your interest. Virtual School Shows registration closed on Wednesday, December 7.

Please check back here in the spring for information about 2023 School Shows!

Each year Ballet Austin offers The Nutcracker Docent Program free to campuses that register for The Nutcracker School Shows to engage students in educational content and  help contextualize their experience. This year’s presentation will be delivered virtually and includes fun elements such as video excerpts and simple dance activities. Learn more about the program here.