Creating "The Nutcracker, The Great Imperial Ballet" | Arts & Culture

With the weather turning colder, it feels timely that dancers are rehearsing for "The Nutcracker, The Great Imperial Ballet" at the Straz Center, and costumers are getting busy.

With more than 150 dancers in three casts of three shows, wardrobe manager Suzanne Nelson has her job cut out for her. While the Next Generation Ballet production will utilize the beautiful costumes from last year, many of them have to be altered or redesigned to fit this year’s cast.

The Patel Conservatory/Straz Center would be lost without its volunteers, even in the costume shop. Parents of dancers in the Next Generation Ballet (NGB), the Patel Conservatory's pre-professional ballet company, have been helping out. They can't wait to see their talented dancers on stage with professional guest dancers like Cuban star Jose Manuel Carreño as the Cavalier and Boston Ballet soloist Jeffrey Cirio as the Snow King.

"The Nutcracker, The Great Imperial Ballet" will be performed in Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets start at $22.50 and can be purchased by visiting www.strazcenter.org and by calling 813-229-STAR (7827).