Name: The Nutcracker
Start: 2026-12-18T19:30:00
Location: Orpheum Theatre

Ballet Memphis

Memphis music lovers rejoice! With a rich history of using Memphis music and culture as a muse for new dance, our 40th anniversary mainstage kickoff will tap into both, with two audience favorites and a highly anticipated world premiere! Trey McIntyre’s impassioned In Dreams is a flagship piece created for Ballet Memphis to the music of Roy Orbison, and has toured from NYC to Miami and even the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Unapologetic by Steven McMahon features musicians from the innovative Memphis-based record label interacting with the dancers live on stage for a current twist. And featuring a world premiere by National Young Arts Foundation award winner Yusha-Marie Sorzano.

Memphis Sound

Playhouse on the Square

Memphis's greatest holiday tradition returns! A joyful celebration of youthful imagination, this is Memphis’s Nutcracker. Created for the Orpheum Theatre stage with magical new sets, gorgeous costumes, and the overwhelming awe of more than 100 professional dancers and students from across the city, The Nutcracker is an absolute must to make your holidays complete!

The Nutcracker

Orpheum Theatre

Two world premieres! Our flagship mixed repertoire program features three short works inspired by celebration and, of course, joy! This season, we build on 40 years of innovation and a commitment to making accessible, inspiring and entertaining experiences with new works and an audience favorite. Choreographers include acclaimed Filipino dance artist Norbert De La Cruz, frequent Ballet Memphis collaborator Matthew Neenan—described by The New York Times as “one of America’s best dance poets”—and a true treasure of Ballet Memphis, rehearsal director and former dancer Julie Niekrasz.

Winter Mix: Celebration

Peter, Wendy, John and Michael will FLY! Steven McMahon’s fantastically fresh staging of Peter Pan is the perfect match to the scenic talents of Tony Award-winner Beowulf Boritt, fantastic costumes by award-winning designer Anne Armit, and our gravity-defying cast of dancers, thanks to the highly technical and automated magic of ZFX Flying Effects. Back for the first time in nearly 10 years, this high-flying adventure will leave you breathless, so grab your seat now, before they all fly away.