NUTCRACKER:

Every year in September, the Lake Erie ballet invites ballet students from age three and older to audition for the annual production of The Nutcracker. This audition is free and open to public. Each year the Lake Erie Ballet Nutcracker showcases the Lake Erie Ballet Companies, esteemed guest artists, technicians and dancers from the community performing with a live orchestra at the historic Warner Theatre in Erie, PA.

Contributing choreographers over the decades include School Director (1974-2004) Sharon Filone, Artistic Directors Robert Steele, Jeff Satinoff, Robert Vickery, Christina Maria Adelhardt, Gina Ribera-Illingworth and Lesley Bories-Scalise. Guests performers have included Matthew Carter, Michele Gifford, Matthew Prescott, Carrie Burns-Frase and Ernest Tolentino.

Each year the Lake Erie Ballet strives to provide the community with the ultimate in live performance experiences by commissioning a live orchestra and conductor to perform for this presentation. Past conductors have included Walter Hendel and Bruce Morton Wright. This year will feature Hugh Keelan, former conductor of the Erie Phil Harmonic and Northwestern Pennsylvania Philharmonic.