43 Nutcrackers Later with the Montana Ballet Company
Christmas Stroll weekend in Bozeman has a soundtrack, and for 43 years running, part of it has been Tchaikovsky. Montana Ballet Company returns to the Willson Auditorium December 5 and 6 with a production that’s older than most of the dancers on stage, in a staging that’s barely a year old.
MBC overhauled the choreography, sets, and costumes in 2025, and that reimagined version comes back for its second outing this December. Artistic Director Melissa Bowman describes a production that “celebrates the beauty of Montana, blending its spirit with the timeless language of ballet.” The surprises she promises are the kind woven into familiar steps rather than bolted on.
The scale is worth noting. More than 100 community dancers join MBC’s Professional Company and Student Company on stage, backed by the Bozeman Symphony in the pit and the Opera Montana Youth Chorus. Three arts organizations, several hundred performers, one auditorium. By MBC’s own reckoning, it’s one of the largest artistic collaborations in the region.
Drosselmeyer again goes to Soren Kisiel, co-director of the Bozeman comedy troupe Broad Comedy. Casting a comedian in the role is a nice bit of local flavor.
In the pit, Dr. Matthew Makeever conducts the Bozeman Symphony for a third consecutive year. “Every time I am able to work with Montana Ballet, I am in awe of the talent and charm this company brings to our community,” he said. The Opera Montana Youth Chorus, directed by Jessica Graf, returns under general director Susan Miller, who called the three-way partnership a chance to make music “with our local arts cousins.”
Four performances run across the weekend: Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. All seats are reserved.
New this year is the Elevated Nutcracker, a before-the-show experience tied to the two earliest matinees (Saturday at noon, Sunday at 9:30 a.m.). Guests get a private reception with the dancers, photos with Clara, the Nutcracker, the Bear, and other characters, early access to the boutique, family-friendly food and drink, and a backstage tour. Tickets are $100 per person on top of the regular performance ticket, and availability is limited.
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