Phoenix Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” Returns to Phoenix, and Debuts in Washington, D.C. for the First Time

Phoenix Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” Returns to Phoenix, and Debuts in Washington, D.C. 

Slawomir Woźniak’s holiday classic opens December 5-6 at Atlas Performing Arts Center, followed by nine performances at the Herberger Theater and Arizona Financial Theatre

For the first time, Phoenix Ballet will take Artistic Director Slawomir Woźniak’s “THE NUTCRACKER” to Washington, D.C., presenting four performances at Atlas Performing Arts Center on Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6, 2026. The company then returns home for nine performances across two weekends at the Herberger Theater (December 12-13) and Arizona Financial Theatre (December 18-20).

“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,” said Phoenix Ballet Artistic Director Slawomir Woźniak. “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 with Master Ballet Academy DC, the new East Coast location of the Scottsdale school that serves as Phoenix Ballet’s official academy.

Woźniak’s production follows young Clara on Christmas Eve, when a wooden Nutcracker from her eccentric godfather comes to life, battles the Mouse King and leads her into a winter realm. Set to Tchaikovsky’s famous score, the ballet carries audiences through snowfall on stage to the Kingdom of Flowers, with dancing mice, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the audience-favorite Russian Dance along the way.

As in past seasons, Phoenix Ballet’s professional dancers will perform alongside dancers from Master Ballet Academy, whose students have helped make the two organizations a viral sensation in the performing arts world, with over 1M followers across @masterballetacademy and @phoenixballet on Instagram, YouTube and other platforms.

Showtimes for Phoenix Ballet’s “THE NUTCRACKER” include:

Washington, D.C. – Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002)

• Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 7 p.m.
• Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 2:30 p.m.
• Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

Phoenix – Herberger Theater (222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix, AZ 85004)

• Saturday, December 12, 2026 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, December 12, 2026 at 7 p.m.
• Sunday, December 13, 2026 at 1 p.m.
• Sunday, December 13, 2026 at 5 p.m.

Phoenix – Arizona Financial Theatre (400 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85003)

• Friday, December 18, 2026 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 7 p.m.
• Sunday, December 20, 2026 at 11 a.m. (Family Special, which includes a reading of The Nutcracker story prior to the performance)
• Sunday, December 20, 2026 at 3 p.m.

The ballet runs approximately two hours, including a 15-minute intermission, and is recommended for audience members ages 4 and older.

Tickets for all three venues are on sale now at www.PhoenixBallet.org/thenutcracker.

For more information on Phoenix Ballet and its upcoming performances, visit www.phoenixballet.org, call 602.996.8000 or email info@phoenixballet.org.