Connecticut Ballet welcomes star-studded guest artists for 41st annual Nutcracker performances in Stamford and Hartford

The Party Scene from Connecticut Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Photo by Thomas Giroir.

Connecticut Ballet Artistic Director Brett Raphael has announced an exceptional lineup of guest artists for the company’s 41st annual production of The Nutcracker. This year, audiences in Stamford and Hartford will be treated to performances featuring principal dancers from New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Philadelphia Ballet, including four dancers making their Connecticut Ballet debuts.

Connecticut Ballet will present four performances at The Palace Theatre in Stamford on December 13 and 14, and four performances at The Bushnell in Hartford on December 20 and 21, with live accompaniment by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Carolyn Kuan.

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Stamford Performances – The Palace Theatre

Saturday, December 13 at 2 p.m. & 6 p.m.: New York City Ballet Principal Dancers Indiana Woodward & Jovani Furlan
Sunday, December 14 at 1 p.m. & 5 p.m.: Philadelphia Ballet Principal Dancers Oksana Maslova & Jack Thomas

Hartford Performances – The Bushnell (with Hartford Symphony Orchestra)

Saturday, December 20 at 2 p.m. & 6 p.m.: New York City Ballet Principal Dancers Emma Von Enck & Anthony Huxley
Sunday, December 21 at 1 p.m. & 5 p.m.: American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancers Isabella Boylston & James Whiteside

Each performance will feature a Nutcracker Boutique offering holiday gifts, followed by a Meet and Greet in the lobby with the guest artists.

Tickets for Stamford are available at palacestamford.org, by calling (203) 325-4466, or at the box office at 61 Atlantic Street. Hartford tickets are available at bushnell.org, by calling (860) 987-5900, or at 166 Capitol Avenue. Discounted group rates of 20% off are available for parties of 15 or more. All performances are fully accessible for patrons with limited mobility.

Share the Magic Student Performance – Hartford Only

Supported by Travelers and the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation, Connecticut Ballet will offer a special student performance of The Nutcracker on Friday, December 19, from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at The Bushnell. Designed for students in grades K–8, tickets are available to public and private/parochial school groups at a subsidized rate of $5–$10 per student, with a free chaperone ticket for every ten student tickets purchased. Reservations are handled directly by Connecticut Ballet at ctballet@ix.netcom.com.

The Nutcracker will open Connecticut Ballet’s 45th season, which will continue with the Be My Valentine production in February, followed by a full-length ballet in May 2026. More information is available at connecticutballet.org.

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October 2025 calendar of events
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Connecticut Ballet welcomes star-studded guest artists for 41st annual Nutcracker performances in Stamford and Hartford