Still looking for some holiday magic for that special someone? Look no further than Mystic Ballet's Connecticut's Mystical Nutcracker. If you didn’t know, Mystic Ballet is a dance company of ten international ballet professionals attracted to our corner of the state, by the artistic gamut that Mystic Ballet is known for. They rehearse at the Ballet’s Mistuxet Avenue studios, and perform at Mystic Stage in our own Olde Mystic Village, The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Center, and the Mashantucket Pequot Museum Auditorium throughout the 42 week performance season. They will be representing Mystic when they tour — performing at Broadway’s Salvatore Capezio Theater this January, Tokyo and Osaka, Japan in February, and at Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival. Every December they mount a Nutcracker that's refreshingly original and reverently classical.

This year Hiroko Maehara, from Japan, is wide-eyed Clara, wandering off into Central Park on Christmas Eve with the nutcracker doll she just received. Sparkling tulle snowflakes, and a “love conquers all theme” set to the familiar Tchaikovsky score, segue to Mondrian-inspired spring-loaded tutus and a corps of pink pop-art sugar plums in the Land of Sweets as Clara's journey spirals out of control. In Santa's workshop acrobatic elves bounce off walls and each other and surprises continue right through the climactic fight between the dashing prince hero – Macedonian Marko Micov -- and the horrible Rat King, Mystic's Aleksander Subotic.

The Company’s artists coax the production to new highs this season with choreography by Brian Enos, one of the ‘top 5 choreographers to watch in America’. All of this global talent is a magical, short-drive away, at the Mashantucket Pequot Auditorium. The final performance is on Saturday the 15th at 2:00. For tickets call 860 536-3671 or visit www.mysticballet.org