All the details you need to catch BRBT’s ‘The Nutcracker – A Tale from the Bayou,’ returning this month at the River Center Theatre

Dancing “sweets,” holiday themes and an epic battle scene—Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker – A Tale from the Bayou returns this month with four performances on Dec. 20 and 21 at the River Center Theatre.

First staged 33 years ago, the local version of Tchaikovsky’s timeless classic promises fairytale sets, live accompaniment from the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and lots and lots of tutus.

“It’s a wonderful tradition, and for many in the audience, it’s the first moment they’ll remember being totally enthralled by the arts,” says BRBT co-artistic director Jonna Cox, who directs the show with fellow co-artistic director Rebecca Acosta.

The cast includes dancers from regional academies and from BRBT’s official school Dancers’ Workshop and professional guest artists from around the country. One of those is Baton Rouge native and Denver-based Emelia Perkins, who will perform the role of Sugar Plum Fairy.

An alumnus of Dancers’ Workshop, Perkins began dancing as a four-year-old and performed numerous roles over the years in The Nutcracker – A Tale from the Bayou, including Clara in 2012. As a professional, she performed with the Kansas City Ballet and Sarasota Ballet before moving to Denver to work as a freelance artist. Perkins will also perform in the titular role of BRBT’s Rapunzel next April.

“This is the first time we’ve had one of our former dancers who went on to become a professional return to play the Sugar Plum Fairy, which is the lead,” Cox says.

Professional guest artist Sanford Placide, who spent six seasons with Dance Theatre of Harlem, will play the role of Cavalier. The Haitian-born, New York City-based Placide trained with Manhattan Youth Ballet and the French Academie of Ballet in New York and has appeared in short films, fashion campaigns and in Isadora at Moscow’s Stanislavski Theater.

Local ballerinas Merci Higdon, 13, Sarah Lavigne, 12, Ai Nguyen, 13, and Kate Torrance, 12, will each perform the role of Clara across the four performances.

Baton Rouge native and Houston-based guest artist Marlon Grigsby will return to the roles of the Nutcracker and the Arabian Prince. Lafayette-based dancer Devin Jordan will perform the energetic number “Russian,” bringing a high level of acrobatics to the choreography, Cox says.

The Nutcracker is staged in cities across the country and the world, with some companies introducing elements to localize their shows. BRBT’s version was created by its longtime artistic directors Molly Buchmann and Sharon Mathews, who retired in 2024. The performance stays true to tradition with classical choreography and live music, but its subtle Louisiana trappings help establish a sense of place.

The original sets were designed by late LSU School of Theatre professor F. Nels Anderson, and they cast Clara first as a bayou girl growing up in a modest cabin. Subsequent backdrops situate the story in a New Orleans-style mansion where the party scene takes place, and later, in the Land of the Sweets, whose stained glass and spiral staircase draw inspiration from the Louisiana Old State Capitol. One of the most popular numbers, Azalea, presents ballerinas in dark pink tutus that resemble Southern blooms.

The show was cast in September, with lead dancers rehearsing long hours until the week of the performances, Cox says. She points out the skill required in many of the numbers, where complex movements demand sophisticated artistry.

“Those lead roles take years and years of training,” she says. “Ballerinas are not born with pointe shoes and tiaras. They’re developed over many years.”

Return patrons might notice the backdrop for the snow scene, a fan favorite at the end of Act One, will have a fresh look. It was refurbished this year by the New Orleans Opera Association, Cox says.

Once again, collectible nutcrackers will be for sale in the lobby. BRBT issues a new design every year.

Performances take place December 20 and 21 at 2 and 6 p.m. each day. Ticket prices range from $40 to $95. For more information, visit batonrougeballet.org.