Indy Ballet & Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: The Nutcracker

Indy Ballet & Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: The Nutcracker at Clowes Memorial Hall

Christmas Eve gets a little more magical when the orchestra is in the room. On December 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM, Indianapolis Ballet and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra bring The Nutcracker to Clowes Memorial Hall, and the music is not a recording in the background. It is Tchaikovsky's score, performed live by the ISO, while the dancers move right alongside it.

That pairing matters. Ballet is beautiful on its own, but live musicians give each leap and turn a pulse you can feel. The story follows Clara on a Christmas Eve journey into the Land of the Sweets, and the contrast is the fun of it. You begin with the warmth of a holiday setting. Then the world opens into something brighter and stranger, with snowflakes, flowers and the Sugar Plum Fairy. It is a story many families know, and seeing it staged live gives it fresh wonder.

This is also a plan worth making together. Indianapolis Ballet identifies its local Nutcracker tradition as dating to 2007, so this is a hometown company with a seasonal history in the city. It is the full collaboration at Clowes, not the one-hour Nutcracker Sweets. Sit down, hear the orchestra, watch Clara's adventure unfold, and leave with a memory that feels like December. If that sounds like your kind of afternoon, grab your seats for The Nutcracker at Clowes Memorial Hall and make the season a little more special.