Nutcracker Key West returns! This enchanting holiday production will be performed December 10th to December 18th at the Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center. Eight public performances are scheduled, with professional dancers from around the world joining 60 of our own community performers to retell this beloved holiday tale.

Key West’s local lore and maritime history set the stage with the story opening in 1864 at the Christmas party of the mayor of Key West. The adventure continues, taking our young heroine, Clara, through a fight with the rooster king, battles with sailors and a trip to the coral reef where she floats over the wreck of the Atocha in a diving bell.

Beautiful period costumes, special effects and delightful new scenic enhancements contribute to the production, delighting audiences both young and old.

The principal dancers in this year’s production are Camila Ferrera , dancing the role of the Sea Star Fairy with Nurlan Abougaliev as her Cavalier.

Nurlan Abougaliev originally from Kazakhstan, danced professionally with the Russian National Ballet, Moscow City Ballet and Ballet Internationale prior to joining Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and attaining principal status.

He has toured extensively throughout the world and taught for many major dance academies, including Ballet East of Florida, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, and Lan Yang Ballet, Taiwan.

Camila Ferrera was born in New Jersey, trained at The School of American Ballet and in 2011 she was accepted into the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School (JKO). While there she performed at the Metropolitan Opera House with American Ballet Theatre, and was awarded

The ABT National Training Scholarship. In 2014, Ms. Ferrera joined the Joffrey Ballet’s Studio Company and in 2015 was promoted to the main company.

Exciting soloists join Camila and Nurlan. Among the men are, Benjamin Rabe , a company member with Rochester City Ballet. An exciting performer, he has a huge vocabulary of movement. He will be dancing the Egret King and the Shark, as well as the Fighting Fish variation. During his career he has performed in works choreographed by Balanchine, James Kudelka, Christopher Wheeldon, David Palmer, Septime Webre and Edwaard Liang.

Brent Whitney is the founder and co-artistic director of The Traverse City Dance Project and has danced with Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet NY, and the Key West Contemporary Dance Company, among others. This will be his 5th season dancing for Nutcracker Key West!

Alex Scupinari danced with Petit Ballet in Curitiba, Brazil, before attending the School American Ballet in the United States on a full scholarship. He has performed with Los Angles Ballet, and toured with many companies including Ballet NY, Ballet San Jose, and Sacramento Ballet. He is currently the co-artistic director with Petit Ballet in Brazil, and is looking forward to visiting our city, and adding his talents to the production.

The holiday gift for the whole family, Nutcracker Key West continues to create lasting impressions on audience members young and old. In 2015 Nutcracker Key West was honored to become the only permanent production at Tennessee Williams Fine Art Center! The tradition will always continue!

Tickets can be purchased on Keystix.com with a special family night rate on Wednesday Dec 15th.