Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission National Endowment for the Arts

The magic is back! Kansas Ballet’s 12th anniversary production of The Nutcracker will be presented at Topeka Performing Arts Center (TPAC) on Saturday, December 16, at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 17, at 1:00 p.m. All ages are welcome to attend.

The performance will feature professional guest artists Whitney Huell, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Angelin Carrant, as the Cavalier, along with more than 150 dancers of Kansas Ballet Academy. Live musical accompaniment will be provided by Topeka Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Kyle Wiley Pickett.

In 2018, Ms. Huell became the first Black artist in Kansas City Ballet’s history to perform the role of Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker; we are honored that she brings this signature role to Kansas Ballet’s production. Mr. Carrant is currently featured in Kansas City Ballet’s Jekyll & Hyde, in the role of Robert Lewis Stevenson. Kansas Ballet’s Visiting Artist program is made possible through a grant from the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission.

Whitney Huell trained at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities under the tutelage of Stanislav Issaev and Robert Barnett. She then attended Indiana University earning a B.S. in Ballet and Psychology before joining Ballet West. With Ballet West, Ms. Huell performed featured roles in Paquita, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Petite Mort, and Jewels. In January 2011 she was one of Dance Magazine’s Top 25 to Watch and was also featured in the September 2012 issue of Pointe Magazine. With Kansas City Ballet, Ms. Huell has performed works by Amy Seiwert, Adam Hougland, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Monique Meunier, Stanton Welch, Edwaard Liang, Val Caniparoli, Helen Pickett, Septime Webre, Mark Morris, Jirí Kylián and Jerome Robbins and has been featured as The Lead Woman in James Kudelka’s The Man in Black, Jeté Woman in Forsythe’s In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Dark Angel in Balanchine’s Serenade and Myrtha in Devon Carney’s Giselle. In 2018 she was featured as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Devon Carney’s production of The Nutcracker becoming the first Black artist in KCB history to perform the role.

Angelin Carrant, originally from Paris, France, began his training at the age of six. As a child he was chosen to perform in Le Songe de Médée by Angelin Preljocaj, with the Paris Opera Ballet. In 2013, Mr. Carrant was offered a full scholarship with the San Francisco Ballet School, under the leadership of Patrick Armand. He trained there for four years where he danced in productions such as Helgi Tomasson’s The Nutcracker, Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella and John Neumeier’s Yondering. He joined the Kansas City Ballet second company in 2017 and the following year was promoted to the main company. As a dancer with KCB, Mr. Carrant has danced leading roles in William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Elegy in George Balanchine’s Serenade and Snow King in Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker. He has also danced in many productions such as Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Tulips and Lobster, Michael Pink’s Dracula and Edwaard Liang’s Wunderland among many others.

SPECIAL TICKET PRICING – LIMITED TIME OFFER!

Promotional pricing is available through 12/15:
$29 General Admission $19 Youth
Tickets may be purchased at the TPAC box office or online through Ticketmaster.