Butler Ballet: The Nutcracker

Butler Ballet: The Nutcracker at Clowes Memorial Hall

The best part of The Nutcracker isn't knowing the story. It's hearing an orchestra bring Clara's world to life. Butler Ballet: The Nutcracker takes over Clowes Memorial Hall in Indianapolis on December 4, 2026, at 8:00 PM, and it is built for anyone who wants the season to feel like more than a playlist and a to-do list.

Start with the sound. Tchaikovsky's score is the heartbeat of this ballet, and here it is played live by the Butler Ballet Orchestra with the Indianapolis Children's Choir, directed by Richard Auldon Clark. Live music changes the room. Every entrance, every swell, every hush has real people behind it. That is a very different feeling from hearing a familiar melody in a store, and it gives the evening a richness you can only get by being there.

Butler Ballet advertises dancing, costumes, scenery and pyrotechnics for this production, so your eyes will be as busy as your ears. This year also brings the return of Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles, a moment sure to delight anyone who loves the ballet's playful side. It is also Butler Ballet's own full-scale Nutcracker, a night out you can share with family, friends or someone you want to make a memory with. Plan your evening, pick your seats and claim your place at Clowes Memorial Hall: grab your tickets for Butler Ballet's The Nutcracker here.