BRANDED CONTENT You might intuit that, like all stage shows, the beloved holiday ballet The Nutcracker is a production that requires the dedication, time, and energy of many professionals—from dancers and costumers to technicians and ushers. But you may not have ever imagined the scale of such an undertaking and the bare statistics that go hand in hand with the show. For Ballet Des Moines this year, eight Nutcracker performances at Hoyt Sherman Place and one in Burlington of will include 27 professional dancers (12 company members, three apprentices, and 12 trainees). More than 200 community cast dancers, ages 5 to 50 and 66 of whom are first-time auditioners, representing 44 studios across 34 communities and some traveling as far as 138 miles to participate. To prepare for the stage, Ballet Des Moines dancers rehearse for four to five weeks, five days per week, for  4½ hours a day. The full cast will have no fewer than 40 hours of rehearsal together. For the past six years, Ballet Des Moines has performed Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet—including two acts divided into three scenes and 15 distinct musical numbers, with a reimagination of Act Two’s dream sequence. In 2026, 29 angelic children’s voices will sing during the infamous Snow Scene to close Act One. The Nutcracker costumes are equally as iconic as the music. Classic tutus worn by Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen as well as romantic tutus like those worn by flowers, angels, Lilac, and Dewdrop are as beloved by audiences as the rats, soldiers, and 26 tiny mice who tumble from beneath the boughs of a giant Christmas tree. In addition, the retelling of Act Two’s dream sequence includes five frogs, three dragonflies, five grasshoppers, 10 fireflies, nine butterflies, three ladybugs, and more than 20 bees. While about three dozen ballerinas on stage will dance on pointe, more than 100 pairs of pointe shoes will be used for rehearsals and performances. While the dancers hold the rapt attention of the audience (more than 5,200 across all performances in 2025), The Nutcracker’s success requires a surprising number of people who are not dancing. The backstage crew is typically just a dozen or so people while, in 2025, rehearsals and performances also included 271 volunteers—including front-of-house workers such as ushers and the Nutcracker Boutique sales staff. This holiday season’s performances of Ballet Des Moines’ The Nutcracker at Hoyt Sherman Place include: Thursday, December 10 at 7 p.m. Friday, December 11 at 7 p.m. School matinees at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 10, and Friday, December 11 (estimating 1,000+ students at each) Saturday, December 12 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, December 13 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Meet characters prior to both performances during Nutcracker Tea, 11 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Tickets range from $40 to $94, with a new $20 ticket that can be purchased in-person only at the Hoyt Sherman Place box office, while supplies last. Learn more at www.balletdesmoines.org/nutcracker2026 > CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BALLET DES MOINES 655 Walnut Street | Des Moines, IA 50309 | www.balletdesmoines.org ...read more read less