Tickets On Sale October 1 for Sparkling Jazz Age Rendition of Holiday Tradition

A&A BALLET'S Art Deco Nutcracker Brings Jazz Age Glamour to the Athenaeum Theatre

Saturday, December 5, 2026

CHICAGO, IL (October 1, 2026) - Mark your calendars. Tickets go on sale today for one of Chicago's most beloved holiday traditions. Beginning October 1, ballet lovers can secure their seats for the award-winning A&A BALLET's critically acclaimed Art Deco Nutcracker, returning for one night only, Saturday, December 5, 2026, at the historic Athenaeum Theatre, where audiences will be transported to the glittering world of 1920s America for a unique Nutcracker experience. With only two performances on a single day, seats are expected to go quickly once tickets go live.

This isn't just any Nutcracker. It's a time machine to the roaring twenties, where Clara dances through a world of shimmering sequins, geometric splendor, and the intoxicating rhythms of an era that defined glamour. This is where dreams take flight against backdrops of gold and silver. Where every pirouette tells a story of imagination, beauty, and the magic that happens when classical ballet meets the electric energy of 1920s America.

A&A BALLET’s Co-founder and Creative Director Alexei Kremnev's Art Deco Nutcracker features Tchaikovsky's beloved score in an exciting and fast-moving, yet classic ballet presentation. The Chicago Tribune has praised it as "A glossy rendition filled with gorgeous, glitzy costumes," while The Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Kremnev has "brought dance to a whole new level." The production's vibrant "roaring" era costumes and stunning choreography offer a fresh approach to the beloved story we all know and love, set to the historic Tchaikovsky score known around the world.

Featuring the best young and award-winning talent in Chicago and beyond, this unique rendition of the classic holiday ballet has garnered praise for its innovative choreography, stunning period costumes, and captivating set designs, all inspired by the glamorous, exuberant Art Deco era.

Critics have called it "electric and echoing with audiences of all ages" and praised it for "encompassing the best and brilliance of what movement can be while breaking boundaries of what we know."

Performance Details:

• Date: Saturday, December 5, 2026

• Tickets On Sale: Beginning Thursday, October 1, 2026

• Time: 2:00pm and 6:00pm

• Venue: Athenaeum Theatre, Historic Main Stage

• Address: 2936 N Southport Ave, Lakeview, Chicago

• Duration: 110 minutes with intermission

• Audience: All ages welcome

• Tickets: $22.00-59.00

  
  

Start the holidays off with a unique experience that reimagines the classic Nutcracker for a new generation while honoring the timeless beauty of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece. Because this Jazz Age spectacular plays for one day only, families are encouraged to purchase tickets as soon as they go on sale October 1 to guarantee their preferred showtime.

Tickets go on sale October 1 through the A&A BALLET Box Office. For tickets and more information, visit www.aacenterfordance.org/ballet-tickets.

About A&A BALLET

A&A BALLET is based in Chicago's state-of-the-art A&A BALLET Center for Dance and is devoted to training in strong, versatile dance techniques, as well as the development of personality, independence and artistry. Led by internationally acclaimed artists and former Founding Artistic Directors of the Joffrey Academy and Joffrey Studio Company, Anna Reznik and Alexei Kremnev, A&A offers a wide variety of classes, professional performance opportunities, private instruction, choreography and training for dancers ranging from age 3 to adult. To date, A&A trained students have secured more than 250 full scholarships and multiple company, apprentice and studio company positions with powerhouses including American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Boston Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Houston Ballet, Princess Grace Academy of Monaco, Bolshoi Ballet, Colorado Ballet, BalletMet and Sarasota Ballet. For more information visit www.aacenterfordance.org or call 312/545-2142.