Next Generation Ballet: The Nutcracker — Straz Center
This isn’t a school recital. Next Generation Ballet is the Straz Center’s resident pre-professional company, founded in 2010 and modeled on the New World Symphony’s model in Miami — pairing serious young dancers with real coaching and real performance stakes as a pipeline toward actual professional ballet careers, not just a holiday showcase. Their annual Nutcracker, set to Tchaikovsky’s 1892 score, has become a genuine Tampa Bay holiday tradition in its own right, running five days with multiple matinees.
It’s the classic, family-friendly version of the story — Clara, the Nutcracker Prince, the Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy — built for all ages, and the multiple matinee times make it far easier to work a young family’s schedule around than a single-showtime touring act.
Good to know: Carol Morsani Hall, Straz Center, 1010 N W.C. MacInnes Pl, Tampa, FL 33602. Dec. 18-22 — Fri 7pm, Sat 2pm & 7pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm, Tue 2pm. Tickets from $21.25 through the Straz Center box office, (813) 229-7827. Outside Pasco County — a worth-the-drive pick.