Ohio Dance Theatre is bringing “The Nutcracker” back to the Stocker Arts Center Dec. 18, 19 and 20, complete with some new costumes, set pieces and choreography. The ballet will be performed by eight dancers Ohio Dance Theatre is contracting from Shaker Heights-based Verb Ballets, along with another eight to 10 dancers who have worked with Ohio Dance Theatre in the past, each hired specifically to perform in this production.
“We are rethinking the model for professional productions — I don’t think this is uncommon in professional dance companies that are under $500,000 in their annual budget,” says Denise Gula, founder and artistic director of the Oberlin-based company. “I think that this is somewhat, maybe, the wave of the future, where you find ways to work with another company to continue to provide your community with the professionalism you’ve always provided.”
Ticket prices range from $22 to $39. Opening-night packages, which include priority seating for the ballet and admission to the after-show gala, are $95. Admission to a Dec. 19 “Ladies Night Out” wine-and-cheese pre-show party can be purchased for an additional $5 per ticket. But the Dec. 19 “Family Night” event after the show, where patrons can snack on cookies and cocoa while meeting the dancers, is free. For more information, call the Stocker Arts Center box office at 440-366-4040 or log on to tickets.lorainccc.edu.