Kansas Ballet Presents Topeka’s Premier Production of “The Nutcracker”
Kansas Ballet’s 12th annual production of The Nutcracker will be presented at Topeka Performing Arts Center (TPAC) on Saturday, December 21, at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 22, at 1:00 p.m. All ages are welcome to attend.
The performance will feature professional guest artists Valeria Chaykina and Xavier Nunez, along with more than 150 dancers of Kansas Ballet Academy. The production will again feature live musical accompaniment by Topeka Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Kyle Wiley Pickett.
Valeria Chaykina (Sugar Plum Fairy) received her ballet education at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. After graduating from The Academy in 2012, she joined Leonid Jacobson St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre as a soloist and later moved to Moscow where she joined Moscow Ballet, also as a soloist. In 2015, Ms. Chaykina joined The Joffrey Ballet and has performed numerous roles in classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Giselle. Her repertoire also includes other great works like Myles Thatcher's Body of Your Dreams; Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces; George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments; Jusn Peck's Year of the Rabbit and The Times Are Racing; Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina; John Neumeier’s Sylvia; Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker; Nicolas Blanc’s Beyond The Shore; Alexander Ekman’s JOY; Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo and Juliet; and Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre. Ms. Chaykina has toured around the world performing in theaters in Spain, Italy, Japan, and Lebanon. She starred in the second season of Teen Vogue's Strictly Ballet online TV series and was featured in the June/July issue of Teen Vogue magazine.
Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Xavier Núñez (Nutcracker Prince) embarked on his dance journey at age ten at The Hartt Community Dance Division in Hartford, Connecticut, becoming the first dancer in his family. He continued his training at the International Ballet Academy in Cary, NC, under Miguel Campaneria in 2010. In 2012, he earned the silver medal at the World Ballet Competition, propelling him to join the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company under the guidance of Kevin McKenzie and Franco De Vita. Mr. Núñez's path led him to The Tulsa Ballet in 2013, where he performed in productions including The Sleeping Beauty, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Cinderella. In 2017, Xavier took part in the Concours de Opera National de Paris, earning him 6th place and a contract for the 2017-2018 season with the Paris Opera Ballet. In 2018, Xavier proudly became a member of the Joffrey Ballet, a momentous step in his career. Since then, he has been privileged to grace the stage in lead roles, performing in acclaimed productions such as Yuri Possokhov's Anna Karenina, John Neumeier's The Little Mermaid, and more. Beyond his onstage achievements, Xavier Núñez's entrepreneurial drive led him to co-found Action Lines with talented peers Dylan Gutierrez and Eric Grant. He creatively directs and choreographs, aiming to fuse dance, education, and entertainment for a fresh perspective on the industry, enhancing its connection to our community.
SPECIAL TICKET PRICING – LIMITED TIME OFFER!
Promotional pricing is available through 12/20:
$29 General Admission
$19 Youth Tickets
may be purchased at the TPAC box office or online through Ticketmaster. https://www.topekaperformingarts.org/events/2024/kansas-ballet-nutcracker
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Free Sugar Plum Fairy Story Time performances will take place at The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, the Silver Lake Library and several local Boys and Girls Clubs locations. Once again, Kansas Ballet is partnering with TPAC to present a shortened matinee performance of The Nutcracker to approximately 2,000 local school-aged children—also free of charge. The matinee is featured as part of TPAC’s Schooltime Theater and will take place on Wednesday, December 18th. As special guests, children from Kansas Ballet’s Ballet Stars program will have the opportunity to tour backstage and meet the performers following the Schooltime Theater matinee. The Ballet Stars program was established in 2016 and provides free classical ballet training and performance opportunities to underserved youth in our community.
“DREAM BIG” SPONSORS & PARTNERS
To reach underserved audiences across Northeast Kansas, Kansas Ballet is deeply grateful for premiere funding partners such as ARTS Connect and the City of Topeka, Envista Federal Credit Union, Evergy, FHL Bank Topeka, Kansas Creative Arts and Industries Commission / National Endowment for the Arts, Kokari Foundation, Security Benefit, Topeka Community Foundation, The Women’s Fund and USD 501. Additionally, in-kind partners are an important part of Kansas Ballet’s Dream Big Team, and include the Cyrus Hotel, Footlights Dancewear and Topeka Blueprint Company.
