A beloved holiday tradition will return to the Piedmont Triad shortly after Thanksgiving when UNCSA debuts the 2024 production of "The Nutcracker" at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts.

Xavier Cacanindin stars as the Nutcracker Prince in this season's production of "The Nutcracker." Inspired by watching his sister dance as a child, Xavier's journey has been fueled by family support, intensive training and guidance from mentors.

Tickets for the annual presentation of "The Nutcracker" will go on sale to the public on Friday, Aug. 16, at 10 a.m. UNCSA will present five performances of "The Nutcracker" from Dec. 6-8. For the second year in a row, the performances will take place at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro while the Stevens Center in Winston-Salem is being renovated.

The UNCSA 2023 production of "The Nutcracker" set records for attendance and gross ticket sales during its Dec. 7-10 performances at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. UNCSA relocated "The Nutcracker" to the Tanger Center in Greensboro while its home theater, the Stevens Center in Winston-Salem, undergoes a comprehensive renovation.

As we say goodbye to 2023, we celebrate the many successes that marked the past year. From worldwide recognition to alumni dominating the industry. Our wildly creative, gifted and hardworking UNCSA artists made their marks in 2023.

In productions like "The Nutcracker," dancers and musicians must find synchronicity to create a spellbinding live performance. In this episode of Story Behind the Sound, "Nutcracker" choreographer Ilya Kozadayev and orchestra conductor Chancellor Brian Cole delve into the world between music and dance.

Katherine Nettles was just ten years old when she discovered the UNCSA School of Dance. Nettles went on to attend two summer sessions before auditioning for the high school dance program. As her final "Nutcracker" and her final spring semester swiftly approach, she reflects on her meaningful ballet journey.

In the almost 60 years of its production, "The Nutcracker" has seen many phases and overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It's grown, moved venues, toured, was a film and is now being performed for the first time at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts.