Ballet Manila, Steps Dance Studio team up for ‘The Nutcracker’

‘The Nutcracker: Waltz of the Flowers.’ Jyllan Bitalac/HandoutMANILA — Ballet Manila and Steps Dance Studio will stage the Christmas classic “The Nutcracker” at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater for the first time, with performances scheduled for December 11-13.

The production is presented by Ayala Land, Circuit Makati and Samsung Performing Arts Theater, with support from GCash and HSBC.

The ballet, featuring music by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, premiered in 1892 and has since become a holiday tradition for audiences around the world. Its story follows young Clara, who receives a Nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve. When the toy comes to life, she embarks on a fantasy adventure involving a battle with the Mouse King, an enchanted forest and the Kingdom of the Sweets.

The production will feature dancers from Ballet Manila and Steps Dance Studio, with sets and costumes designed by Gino Gonzales, recipient of the 2024 Cultural Center of the Philippines Gawad Para sa Sining for Theater. Lighting design will be handled by Monino Duque, recipient of the 2023 Aliw Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.

(From left) Gino Gonzales, set and costume designer; Jeffrey Espejo, choreographer; Sofia Zobel-Elizalde, founder and director, Steps Dance Studio; Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, artistic director, Ballet Manila; Monino Duque, lighting designer, and Christopher Mohnani, arts and culture manager, Circuit Makati; managing director, Samsung Performing Arts Theater. Jyllan Bitalac/HandoutBallet coach and choreographer Jeffrey Espejo will restage the production, bringing a new interpretation to the classical ballet while retaining its familiar story and music.

The staging marks the first time “The Nutcracker” will be presented at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. Organizers said the production is intended to introduce the ballet to new audiences while bringing the holiday favorite to longtime ballet enthusiasts and families.

Tickets are available exclusively through TicketWorld.