5 Reasons You MUST See The Nutcracker presented by The Colorado Ballet

Disclosure: I am partnering with the Colorado Ballet to bring you this post. However, all opinions are my own.

This past weekend, my little one and I set out to start our holiday season by attending one of our favorite traditions, The Nutcracker, presented by the Colorado Ballet and Key Bank. This is an outstanding and award-winning presentation and one that we highly recommend that you attend as well! To celebrate The Nutcrackers opening week and to share our love of The Colorado Ballet I put together the top 5 reasons that we love The Nutcracker and you MUST See it!

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5. Location

The Colorado Ballet performs The Nutcracker in The Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The Ellie is located in the Denver Performing Arts Complex in downtown Denver. It is a beautiful building and very up to date and welcoming. Parking is extremely easy, with the parking garage adjacent to the theater. Parking is only $12.00, however, the light rail is also right near the DPAC which makes the theater within easy walking distance as well. Honestly, Denver is a stunning city and the location of The Ellie is perfectly nestled in our gorgeous city. The Ellie is a perfect home for The Nutcracker and such a fun place to visit.

4. Time with Family:

We were the first two people into the lobby on the day we attended. We took a seat and chatted for a bit while we waited for the bell to alert us that the show would be starting soon. We watched hundreds of people come in, dressed in their best, smiling, with their families. It was clearly a special day for everyone who attended to spend time with family, watching a beautiful story come to life and inspired by the magic of the season.

Just as other families were enjoying time, so were the peanut and I. We were able to really chat with each other, to laugh and relax and have some one on one quality time. Having this tradition of The Nutcracker makes this time so special for her and I. In addition, it was wonderful for me to see my daughters passion for dance come alive before the show, during intermission and in the days following the show. She has shown me her posse, 1st position “pizza pies” and her little “rose” hands. She continues to talk of her memories of the shows from this year and past years and our time together and you can see and hear how important The Nutcracker is to her and in our bond as mother and daughter. Create those memories and bonds folks, in the end that is all we will have and they are SO valuable.

3. The Amenities:

Part of the fun of The Nutcracker is in the time before and after the show. Inside the Ellie Caulkins Opera House is a beautiful lobby that hosts a boutique, some art installments, 2 bars and plenty of room to move around and enjoy some conversation before the ballet begins. The bar has snack and drink options as well as the option for patrons to pre-order drinks for intermission too! I feel like part of the Colorado Ballet experience is enjoying this amazing venue and all the amenities. The coffee bar is wonderful, the boutique has so many cute little gifts and the people are very helpful and nice. Everywhere you look there is awesome art and wonderful conversations to be had. We love just browsing, snacking and looking at all the art.

2. Photo Opportunities

Photo Credit: Abby Watkins Photography

Every year we have attended The Nutcracker, Abby Watkins Photography has had this awesome photo opportunity set up in the lobby. It is a beautiful backdrop that really brings the spirit of the season alive and is a great opportunity for you and your family to get a group photo together all dressed up! Abby is super sweet and professional, and was great with my daughter. She kept her attention and was quick and easy to work with. The photos came straight to our email just a couple of days after the show and looked great! She also offers prints of the photos that you can order from her site for a super affordable price! I love our photo and am so glad we can frame this memory. If you are planning to see The Nutcracker this season, then make sure to stop by Abby’s booth!

1. The Performance!

Photo Credit: Emily Speed and Sean Omandam by Mike Watson

Obviously, this is the star of the post! We came for the performance and we were incredibly impressed. This is the 57th annual production of this holiday classic and should not be missed. The stunning costumes, beautiful set design and the fantastically talented dancers really bring this story to life.

Photo Credit: Ariel Breitman and Artists of Colorado Ballet by Mike Watson

The dancers bring passion, excitement, fun and beauty into each scene and the live music keeps you immersed in a wonderful experience. My daughter and I loved watching the dancers leap and turn and I think our favorite part was when they made it snow! YES SNOW, and then they danced in that snow in their point shoes! I was so nervous one of them was going to slip on that snow and yet they were still flawless and perfect.

Photo Credit: Ariel Breitman, Sharon Wehner and Yosvani Ramos and Artists of Colorado Ballet by Mike Watson

The humor of The Nutcracker ballet is also a huge favorite. The dancers do not just dance, they perform, they bring the story to life with their facial expressions and gestures. There really is no need for words, because they perfectly express this story. We giggled as various scenes unfolded and as the dancers took those scenes and brought the audience in. At one point, my little one told the nice woman in the seat next to her that “that dragon is really funny, huh?!?” I am 90% certain the entire theater heard her and agreed!

Photo Credit: Emily Speed and Ariel Breitman by Mike Watson

When the curtain closed and The Nutcracker ended the crowd erupted. It was perfection. It was so fun and it was even more magical than before. My little one was very excited and told me that she was ready to dance on the stage with the ballerinas. I told her not just yet, to which she argued that there were other tiny ballet girls and she could be one too! Can’t really argue with that. Her dance passion is already growing and allowing her to experience the Colorado Ballet only fueled her desire to dance more.

Photo Credit: Sharon Wehner and Yosvani Ramos by Mike Watson

The Colorado Ballet’s presentation of The Nutcracker was amazing. There really are no better words to use. We were in awe and had the best time. This is the largest production of The Nutcracker in the state of Colorado and last year this production was named the best-loved Nutcracker production in the US! I highly recommend you purchasing tickets now as the season sells out quickly. You can find out more about ticket prices, performance schedule and other information on the Colorado Ballet’s website. Make sure to go now, you don’t want to miss out!

Have you been to The Nutcracker before?

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