Those looking for a little taste of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” to get them in the holiday mood are in luck as there are plenty of places throughout the Puget Sound this holiday season to enjoy the classic ballet.

In downtown Olympia, the Washington Center for the Performing Arts hosts eight shows of Ballet Northwest’s presentation of the classic throughout December. Ballet Northwest is southwest Washington's largest ballet company, featuring local dancers from age 8 to 69 all drawn community-wide from Lewis, Mason and Thurston counties. The performances run Dec. 12-14 and 19-21. There are two shows daily on Dec. 13 and 20, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. For tickets, call the box office at 360.753.8586 or visit www.washingtoncenter.org.

Farther north in Tacoma, the nonprofit Washington Contemporary Ballet company (www.wcbdance.org) will perform four shows at Mount Tahoma High School, 4634 S. 74th St., on Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 13 at 2 and 7 p.m., and Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. General admission is $18, and students, children, seniors, and military members are $15.

 

The WCB is a nonprofit company that provides a classical foundation to students in the historic, artistic and technical areas of dance. The company is composed of students who have dreams and aspirations of a career in dance with comprehensive training while simultaneously affording dance opportunities to those seeking a creative and recreational outlet. For tickets, call 253.474.4312.

 

Also in Tacoma, the Pantages Theater will host eight shows of Tacoma City Ballet’s portrayal of the ballet, accompanied by The Northwest Sinfonietta under the direction of Christophe Chagnard. The performances run Dec. 13-14 and 19-21. There are afternoon and evening shows at 2 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 20 and a lone afternoon show on Dec. 14. For tickets, visit www.tacomacityballet.com.

 

In Seattle, Pacific Northwest Ballet has been performing “The Nutcracker” since 1983. The show, created by PNB founding artistic director Kent Stowell and world-famous children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, blends lavish sets and costumes, top-notch choreography and Tchaikovsky's music performed by the acclaimed PNB Orchestra to create a stellar performance for all ages to enjoy.

 

The performances in Seattle run Nov. 28-Dec. 30 at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets may be purchased by calling the PNB box office at 206.441.2424, visiting www.pnb.org or in person at 301 Mercer St. 90 minutes prior to each performance. Tickets are also available at any Ticketmaster outlet. 

 

For those looking to venture south to Portland, the Oregon Ballet Theater (www.obt.org) performs Dec. 10-24 in the Keller Auditorium. Call 503.2-BALLET or visit www.ticketmaster.com for tickets.