New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center; 212-870-5570.
Towering trees, onstage blizzards, and pretty ballerinas. Why mess with the success of the late, great choreographer George Balanchine? This one sets the standard.
• Dates:November 25–December 31: days and times vary, see website for schedule
• Price: $35–$285
New York Theatre Ballet
Florence Gould Hall, 55 E. 59th St., nr. Park Ave.; 212-355-6160.
A streamlined one-hour version that’s been known to attract celebrity moms like Marcia Gay Harden and Sarah Jessica Parker.
• Dates: December 9, 6 p.m.; December 10–11, 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
• Price: $34 ($24 for kids under 12)
Mark Morris Dance Group: The Hard Nut
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Ave., nr. Ashland Pl., Fort Greene; 718-636-4100.
Once again, in lieu of a traditional performance, this year BAM is hosting Mark Morris’ The Hard Nut, a “retro-modern reimagining” of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original that takes places in the ‘70s and features the comic-style art of Charles Burns, over-the-top costumes, and dancing G.I. Joes, all set to the classic score.
• Dates: December 10, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; December 11, 3 p.m.; December 14-16, 7:30 p.m.; December 17, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; December 18, 3 p.m.
• Price: $25–$125
Dances Patrelle: The Yorkville Nutcracker
Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College,695 Park Ave., nr. 68th St.; 212-772-4448.
The Sugar Plum Fairy alights in 1890s Manhattan for a history lesson en pointe.
• Dates: December 8–9, 7 p.m.; December 10, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; December 11, noon and 5 p.m.
• Price: $45–$85 (half off for seniors and students)
The Dance Theatre in Westchester: The Colonial Nutcracker
Walt Whitman Theatre, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College, 2900 Campus Rd., nr. Nostrand Ave., Flatbush; 718-951-4500.
This family-friendly production places The Nutcracker story in colonial Yorktown.
• Date: December 11, 2 p.m.
• Price: $15