Indy Ballet & Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: The Nutcracker

Indy Ballet & Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: The Nutcracker at Clowes Memorial Hall

Live orchestra and live ballet meet in one room as Clara's Christmas Eve grows into an enchanted adventure. On December 20, 2026, at 1:00 PM, Indianapolis Ballet and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra bring The Nutcracker to Clowes Memorial Hall, and the afternoon starts with a simple promise: Clara's Christmas Eve is about to turn into something extraordinary.

That is the heart of the story. Clara slips from a familiar holiday setting into the Land of the Sweets, and the production's visual world fills that journey with snowflakes, flowers and the Sugar Plum Fairy. It is the sort of imagery that makes a room of adults feel a little like kids again. You are not just remembering the season. You are watching it come alive in motion, with dancers carrying the story from one enchanted place to the next.

Then there is the sound. Tchaikovsky's score is performed by the ISO, so the dancing and the music share the same live moment. Indianapolis Ballet has a local Nutcracker tradition dating to 2007, and this full collaboration at Clowes gives families, friends and longtime ballet lovers a reason to make a seasonal outing out of it. Dress up. Gather the people you love. Let the afternoon become the memory everyone brings up next December. Don't just hope the holidays feel special this year; plan the day that makes them feel that way. Reserve your seats for The Nutcracker at Clowes Memorial Hall and step into Clara's story.