Now is the perfect time to book tickets for the world’s most popular ballet….but what is it about The Nutcracker that makes audiences the world over flock to see it every year?

It’s because it’s full of things we associate with Christmas - a big Christmas tree, presents for the children, sweets, snow and a sprinkling of magic - it’s as familiar as Christmas itself!

Brecon Festival Ballet returns to Theatr Brycheiniog for five performances from December 16-18, accompanied live by the 24 professional musicians of the Welsh Chamber Orchestra.

An onstage cast of 75 performers, including 24 professional ballet dancers make this one of the biggest dance events in Wales. Tchaikovsky’s beautiful music includes many popular tunes that audiences will recognise and hum along to.

Some of Brecon Festival Ballet’s professional dancers actually grew up in Brecon, trained at Mid Wales Dance Academy and are now returning as experienced professionals to perform to their home crowd.

The Nutcracker 2019
Local children and adults perform alongside professional performers (Sian Trenberth Photography)

This year the theme for Brecon Town Council’s Brecon with Bells On Christmas Fayre is “Climate Change” and Brecon Festival Ballet is proud to say it does what it can to reduce its carbon footprin,t because almost the entire cast is from Wales, and where possible, from Brecon and the local area.

Performing alongside the professional dancers are local children and adults, in a variety of roles.

Behind the scenes, many other local people are involved in creating costumes, scenery and props.

A review of the 2019 performances in the international publication, Dance for You magazine, said it was “almost certainly the first ballet of its kind to involve an entire community”, that the production was “a Triumph” and Brecon Festival Ballet had “succeeded in giving the small town of Brecon a Nutcracker that is good enough to grace any stage”. So audiences won’t need to travel to Cardiff or London to see a full scale production of this well-loved ballet.

Tickets are selling fast, so get yours soon and enjoy a trip to the ballet just before Christmas to get you and your family in the festive mood!

There is a relaxed matinee on Sunday, December 18 and all tickets are available from Theatr Brycheiniog, in person, by phone, or via their website.