Louisville Ballet’s Brown-Forman Nutcracker Brings a Timeless Tradition to Life
The Nutcracker ballet, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was originally performed in 1892. Though it didn’t receive raving reviews in the late 1800s, it has become one of the most popular ballets during the holiday season around the world.
In the two-act ballet, audiences follow the story of Marie, a young girl who receives a mysterious nutcracker doll from her godfather, Drosselmeyer, during a festive holiday party.
Later that evening, Marie sneaks back to the Christmas tree to check on her new toy and is swept into a dreamlike adventure.
The room transforms as the tree grows towering tall, and the Nutcracker comes to life to battle a wicked Mouse King and his army.
With Marie’s help, the Nutcracker defeats the Mouse King and transforms into a handsome prince. Together, the pair journey through a snow-covered forest to the enchanting Land of Sweets, where they are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Dancers from around the world perform a series of chocolate, tea, coffee, and candy cane dances, and Marie wakes from her magical journey forever changed.
The Louisville Ballet is no stranger to this beloved holiday tradition.
This year, they’ll perform The Brown-Forman Nutcracker under the direction of Louisville Ballet’s new artistic director, Anthony Krutzkamp. The choreography is by Val Caniparoli, and the magic and illusion design is by Marshall Magoon.
Whether you’ve seen The Nutcracker on stage or not, chances are you’ll recognize the music. A quick listen to Tchaikovsky’s “March” from the ballet will bring memories of the holidays — shopping, movies, and even cartoons.
“It’s a turning point — when the holiday starts,” Krutzkamp says. “You can’t walk into a store without The Nutcracker being played through the speakers. I think it’s the official kickoff to the holidays for a lot of people.”
The 2025 performance will feature live music with the Louisville Orchestra, directed by Tara Simoncic. It will be the first Louisville Ballet and Louisville Orchestra collaboration since 2022, and Krutzkamp is eager to see the results.
“You’re working in tandem with the conductor, and he or she is working in tandem with the orchestra. It makes you perform at your best and creates something magical for the audience,” Krutzkamp says.
One might think the Louisville Ballet dancers would tire of performing the tradition each year, but Krutzkamp says it’s just the opposite.
“We’re doing more difficult things,” Krutzkamp says. “Each year is going to be slightly different because there are more techniques, and you’re always becoming better. It’s truly an explosive growth period for any dance company, and I get to work with dancers in a different way and watch younger dancers take on harder roles.”
Krutzkamp was still finalizing his cast list just a few weeks ago, but says Marie is always an important role because the audience views the ballet through her eyes.
The Louisville Ballet includes 24 professional dancers, a distinguished four-year, tuition-free professional training program, and a robust school serving more than 900 students, including a pre-professional training program.
“These dancers are Louisville residents,” Krutzkamp says. “They shop here, dine here and live here. They’ve literally picked up their lives and moved to Louisville to dance here.”
Furthermore, there will be hundreds of children participating in the performance — another cherished part of the production.
“Not only for the community, but for the children as well,” Krutzkamp adds. “We held an open audition, and for them, it’s like being on stage with your heroes. It can literally change a dancer’s life to watch the people you look up to perform — and you’re there on stage with them.”
In fact, Krutzkamp now serves as artistic director for a dancer in the company who once performed as a child in one of his earlier Nutcracker productions.
A Kentucky native, Krutzkamp previously served as artistic and executive director of the Sacramento Ballet and as a principal dancer with Cincinnati Ballet and Kansas City Ballet. He says his new role with the Louisville Ballet is a perfect fit.
“My favorite part of the job is working with the dancers — being able to get in there and coach and enhance the performances,” he says. “I always say, ‘If I can give the dancers all of the knowledge I have right now, they’ll be better than I ever was.’”
In his former roles, Krutzkamp achieved record-breaking ticket sales, launched a groundbreaking second company in Sacramento, and awarded more than $125,000 annually in student scholarships.
He expanded his dancers’ repertoire to include works by George Balanchine, Alejandro Cerrudo, Penny Saunders, Ihsan Rustem, and others, while also creating acclaimed productions of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.
He’s hoping to do it all again in Louisville.
“When I learned I had the position, dancers were reaching out over social media, welcoming me and congratulating me,” Krutzkamp says. “I can’t say enough about how awesome they are. Everyone has gone the extra mile, and I really look forward to bringing all different types of dances to Louisville. With technology today, we can see what’s happening around the world fairly easily. When we think internationally, having that in your city is very important. We want to be a company that can do everything, and the audience will notice. I know the city is proud of us, but I’m hoping we can be an artistic beacon that others aspire to be.”
The Brown-Forman Nutcracker will be on stage from Dec. 12 through Dec. 22. Purchase tickets at my.louisvilleballet.org/24378.
The Louisville Ballet was founded in 1952 and is Kentucky’s official state ballet. It’s a nationally recognized professional dance company that welcomes more than 70,000 people annually through performances, education, and outreach.
