More than 250 young dancers are trying out this weekend for spots in Sacramento Ballet's holiday production of “The Nutcracker,” with auditions scheduled for Saturday and Sunday and open to performers ages 7 to 18 split across four height and age groups. The tryouts feed into what the company describes as the region's largest production of its kind, and this year's edition arrives with two notable additions: a new partnership bringing performing opportunities to children with disabilities, and the company's first-ever sensory-friendly performance.
The auditions cap a week of preparation, as Sacramento Ballet held an audition workshop this past Saturday to help young hopefuls get ready for the tryout process, according to Sacramento Ballet. As CBS News reports, more than 250 young dancers are expected to compete for spots, and the company has partnered with Access Dance to bring performing opportunities to children with disabilities as part of this year's production.
A New Sensory-Friendly Show Joins the Holiday Run
Also new this season is Sacramento Ballet's first sensory-friendly Nutcracker performance, scheduled for December, per CBS News. The company has outlined specific accommodations for the show, including lowered sound levels, house lights kept dimly lit throughout, designated quiet areas, freedom for patrons to stand or talk during the performance, and a request that attendees skip strong fragrances, according to the ballet's own accessibility guidelines.
The move places Sacramento Ballet within a broader regional shift toward inclusive arts programming. The local nonprofit Sensory Friendly Dance was founded in Sacramento back in 2017 by former Sacramento Ballet principal dancer Alexandra Cunningham, who launched the initiative in partnership with the Sacramento Kings Community Foundation at the Crest Theatre, according to Sensory Friendly Dance. Similar modified performances have since spread across the region, with groups including Capital Dance Project and Placer Theatre Ballet offering their own sensory-friendly shows, as reported by CapRadio.
Where and When the Holiday Run Will Take Place
The full holiday production runs December 12 through December 24 at the 2,442-seat SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center at 1301 L Street in downtown Sacramento, according to Sacramento Ballet. The venue, formerly known as the Community Center Theater, completed a major multi-year renovation in June 2021, per the City of Sacramento. This year's schedule extends the run through Christmas Eve, longer than in prior seasons.
The production features live music from the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera performing Tchaikovsky's traditional score alongside the dancers, a collaboration the company has highlighted as central to the show's scale. Choreography for the current staging was created collaboratively by a trio that includes R. Colby Damon, who also serves as the ballet's Marketing Director, along with resident company artist and choreographer Julia Feldman and Nicole Haskins, according to The Ballet Herald.
New Leadership Ushers In the 71st Season
This year's auditions and production also mark the start of a leadership transition for the organization. Sacramento Ballet named former San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Tiit Helimets as its new Artistic Director in 2026, kicking off the company's 71st year under the banner of its “Legacy in Motion” 2026/27 season, according to Sacramento Ballet. Helimets trained in the Vaganova tradition at the Estonian National Ballet before spending nearly two decades as a principal dancer in San Francisco.
Families hoping to catch the December run got an early break last month, when the ballet held its annual “Nutcracker in July” promotional sale on July 24 and 25, offering a 25% discount on select December performances. The two-day discount applied to specific matinee and evening shows late in the run, according to Sacramento Ballet.
-4.webp?w=160&h=400&fit=crop&crop=edges)