The Averitt Center for the Arts once again wrapped the holiday season with its 2025 production of “The Nutcracker.”

Directed for the third time by Rebekah Louise Carlisle, the 2025 ballet delivered artistry, technique and holiday storytelling – showcasing the rising generation of dancers trained through the Averitt Center and the Cotton Rose School of Dance.

The production’s choreography was headed by Carlisle and her team of Anastasia Brown, Katie Thomsen and Anna Nessmith, whose professional backgrounds and stylistic range helped produce a compelling performance. Their work blended classical ballet with contemporary movement and expressive storytelling that remained faithful to the traditional Nutcracker.

Young Performers

The heart of the ballet was a cast of young dancers that helpe

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