SEASON SPONSORS

Carla and John Brozovich

Performances

December 4 - 13, 2026

WEEKEND 1

FRIDAY

December 4, 2026 7:30 PM

SATURDAY

December 5, 2026 2:00 PM

7:30 PM

SUNDAY

December 6, 2026 2:00 PM

WEEKEND 2

FRIDAY

December 11, 2026 7:30 PM

SATURDAY

December 12, 2026 2:00 PM

7:30 PM

SUNDAY

December 13, 2026 2:00 PM

LEAD CORPORATE SPONSOR

of Ballet San Antonio’s The Nutcracker

Student Matinee Performances

December 4 and 11, 2026

WEEKEND 1

FRIDAY

December 4, 2026 10:00 AM

WEEKEND 2

FRIDAY

December 11, 2026 10:00 AM

Ballet San Antonio’s Student Matinee Performances of The Nutcracker are proudly supported by Valero.

Sensory Friendly Performance

December 8, 2026

TUESDAY

December 8, 2026 10:00 AM

Ballet San Antonio’s Sensory Friendly Performance of The Nutcracker is presented with the support of Generation Next.

Wednesday, December 9th

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

Co-Chairs Meredith Muecke Howard and Paige Cavender

The Story of The Nutcracker

ACT 1

The curtain rises on a festive Christmas Eve celebration in the Stahlbaum home. Clara and her family welcome friends and guests to an evening filled with dancing, laughter, and holiday cheer. Her mysterious Godfather, Drosselmeyer, arrives with magical toys and gifts, enchanting everyone - especially Clara, who receives a beautiful Nutcracker doll.

Later that night, as the clock strikes midnight, Clara returns to the parlor to check on her Nutcracker. Suddenly, the room begins to transform: the Christmas tree grows towering and grand, toy soldiers come to life, and the Mouse Queen leads an army into battle. With courage and heart, Clara helps the Nutcracker defeat the Mouse Queen, breaking a spell and revealing him as a handsome Prince.

He invites Clara on an unforgettable journey through swirling snow and shimmering forests as they travel toward a land of pure imagination.

Clara and the Nutcracker Prince arrive in the breathtaking Land of Snow, where elegant snowflakes dance under a moonlit winter sky.

ACT 2

Their journey continues into the dazzling Land of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy welcomes them with warmth and wonder.

To honor Clara’s bravery, dancers from around the world present vibrant, joyful divertissements - from the lively Spanish Chocolate and charming Marzipan to the swirling Waltz of the Flowers. A crowd favorite, Mother Ginger, sweeps onto the stage with her towering hoop skirt, revealing her mischievous Polichinelles bursting into dance. The celebration concludes with the exquisite Grand Pas de Deux of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, filling the stage with magic and grace. As the Land of Sweets fades, Clara awakens from her dream - forever changed by the adventure, mystery, and enchantment of the holiday season.

Casting

About the Choreographers

HALEY HENDERSON SMITH

Haley grew up in Southern California where she trained with Clarissa Boeriu. At the age of 17, she received a contract with the Royal Danish Ballet and continued dancing there for six and a half seasons. While there, Haley had the privilege of creating roles in multiple works by Alexei Ratmansky, John Nuemier, and Tim Rushton, among others.

After dancing as a guest artist with American Ballet Theatre during their 2006 Metropolitan Opera House season, Haley danced for two seasons with Ballet San Jose, where she met her husband, Easton. From there they joined the cast of the pre-Broadway tour of Dirty Dancing where Haley performed in the ensemble and the lead character Penny.

After training in New York City with David Howard, Willy Buhrman, and Nancy Bielski, Haley joined Ballet West as a soloist in 2010 and was promoted to rank of principle in 2013. While at Ballet West she danced the full range of leading roles with the company including the principle woman in Balanchine’s Diamonds and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. She also originated roles in works by Nicolo Fonte, Jodie Gates, Val Caniporoli, and Easton Smith. Haley was also a world ambassador for Gaynor Minden pointe shoes and featured in Dance Magazine’s women’s issue in 2012.

EASTON SMITH

Easton began his professional career at the age of 17 with the renowned director and choreographer Michael Smuin. During his seven years with Smuin Ballet, he recreated numerous leading roles from Michael’s tenure as Director of San Francisco Ballet, as well as originating many roles created for him by Michael at Smuin Ballet. Smith would go on to work as a leading male dancer for the Sacramento Ballet, as well as Ballet San Jose where he met his wife, Haley.

Easton and Haley joined the cast of the pre-Broadway tour of Dirty Dancing where Easton performed the leading role of Johnny Castle, as well as in the ensemble. Easton then joined the Broadway cast of Billy Elliot in New York City as Older Billy. After his work on Broadway, Easton and Haley decided to return to ballet and were invited to work with Ballet West under the direction of Adam Sklute as a Soloist. During his time with Ballet West, Easton also choreographed multiple pieces for the highly acclaimed Innovations Program.

 Easton has had the opportunity to work with some of the most influential choreographers, repetiteurs, teachers, and directors of our time.

After his retirement in 2013, Smith became a commercial helicopter pilot focusing on private executive charters, production, and aerial firefighting for the United States Forest Service. During that time, he also held the title of President of Coastal Helicopters, an aviation company based in the Los Angeles area.

Smith now has a successful Real Estate Group at the number one market center of the world’s leading brokerage.

CONDUCTOR

Leonardo Pineda

Leonardo Pineda is a conductor and cultural leader of a new generation redefining the classical music experience through artistic excellence, innovative programming, and meaningful audience engagement. He is the Music Director of The Orchestra San Antonio (TOSA), the resident orchestra of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, an appointment that began in October 2025 following a series of acclaimed guest appearances with the ensemble.

Pineda’s official debut at the Tobin Center’s H-E-B Performance Hall featured internationally renowned trumpeter Pacho Flores. The performance concluded with a three-minute standing ovation and four curtain calls. Voice of San Antonio praised the evening: “At the helm was conductor Leonardo Pineda. His dynamic and expressive leadership elicited an extraordinary level of nuance and musicality from the ensemble. You could feel the deep connection between the conductor and musicians, and the sense that this was just the beginning of something special.”

As a teaching artist, Pineda is deeply committed to creating meaningful entry points into classical music. His work centers on innovation in the concert experience, crafting programs and environments that invite new audiences while fostering deeper engagement with the art form. Eric Booth, widely regarded as a leading figure in the teaching artist movement, writes: “Leonardo’s most important contribution is the way he redefines the role of the music director as a modern cultural leader—someone who captivates audiences through both artistry and education. He is part of a new generation of conductors who do not see performance and engagement as separate pursuits.”

Highlights of Pineda’s 2025–26 and 2026–27 seasons include major symphonic repertoire by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Dvořák, including Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 5, 7, and 8; Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5; and Dvořák’s Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9, From the New World.

His seasons with TOSA also feature significant collaborations and premieres, including the San Antonio premiere of Daniel Freiberg’s Crónicas latinoamericanas with Pacho Flores; the world premiere of Juan Pablo Contreras’ La Minerva with Anna Lee; and the North American premiere of Freiberg’s Guitar Concerto with guitarist Rafael Aguirre. Additional highlights include Korngold’s Violin Concerto with Francisco Fullana; complete performances of Beethoven’s Egmont incidental music with narrator and soprano; and eighteen performances of The Nutcracker with Ballet San Antonio across two consecutive seasons.

In 2025, Pineda made his sold-out Carnegie Hall debut with Ensemble Connect, conducting the world premiere of a work by Carolina Noguera in a program curated by Gabriela Ortiz. He was also selected from 250 international applicants for the Carlos Prieto Conducting Fellowship, where he received the Distinction Prize.

Pineda serves on the faculty of Bard College as Guest Conductor for Educational Partnerships and Lecturer with The Orchestra Now. Through this work, he continues to develop innovative models that connect professional musicians, students, and communities through performance and education — building programs that invite new audiences in rather than asking them to arrive already fluent in the art form.

Orchestra

FLUTE/PICCOLO

OBOE/ENGLISH HORN

CLARINET I

CLARINET II/BASS CLARINET

BASSOON

HORN I

HORN II

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL HORN

TRUMPET

TENOR/BASS TROMBONE

TIMPANI

PERCUSSION

HARP

CELESTA

VIOLIN I

STAND 1

STAND 2

STAND 3

STAND 4

VIOLIN II

STAND 1

STAND 2

STAND 3

STAND 4

VIOLA

STAND 1

STAND 2

STAND 3

CELLO

STAND 1

STAND 2

STAND 3

DOUBLE BASS

STAND 1

STAND 2

Production Credits

CO-CHOREOGRAPHERS

Haley Henderson Smith and Easton Smith

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Rafael Ferreras

CONDUCTOR

Leonardo Pineda

LIVE MUSIC

The Orchestra San Antonio

REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Jacob Bush

ASSOCIATE REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Sofie Bertolini

WARDROBE SUPERVISOR

Katie Simpson

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Mike Palmer

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

Robert Grossman

STAGE MANAGER

Rebecca J. Simons

STAGEHANDS & TECH CREWS

Provided by I.A.T.S.E. Local 76

PRIMARY COMPANY PHYSICIAN

Lindsay Stephens, D.O., Sports Medicine Associates

PRIMARY PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Barbara Guarriello, PT, DPT, OCS, Texas Physical Therapy Specialists

FAQ

Page Credits

VIDEOGRAPHERS

Emilie Geib and Sofia Marquez

ARTIST IN VIDEO

Soloist Elaine Blank

PHOTOGRAPHER (excluding choreographer and conductor headshots)

Molly Johnson Photo

ARTISTS IN PHOTOS

Principal Will Robichaud

Soloists Logan Acker, Elaine Blank, Alexandra Carey, Alexa Horwath

Corps de Ballet Haley Blackwelder, Emily Johnson, Isabella Long, Mikaela Stewart

SEND THE KIDS TO THE BALLET

All performances of The Nutcracker are part of our Send the Kids to the Ballet program, which provides children from local schools and community organizations with free tickets and transportation. This initiative is designed to reach those who might not otherwise have access due to economic, geographic, or personal barriers.

If your organization is interested in participating in the Send the Kids to the Ballet program, please contact Daniella Juarez, Director of Administration, at d.juarez@balletsanantonio.org.