OLYMPIC BALLET THEATRE "The Nutcracker" December 29, 2025 7pm Review
THE NUTCRACKER
Olympic Ballet Theatre
Edmonds Center for the Arts
Edmonds, WA
Review: 12/20/25 7:00pm Performance
It’s that time of year again. One of the most beloved holiday shows is most definitely, “The Nutcracker”. It is very much a tradition for many families as well as many arts organizations during the holiday season.
Celebrating their 45th season, the Olympic Ballet Theatre has been producing a wonderful version of “The Nutcracker” for many years. I first saw/reviewed it in December of 2019 and have seen it every year since (minus 2020 for obvious reasons) and last year (which was due to illness). It’s a show that I have talked about on numerous occasions when people ask me about which shows to go check out during the holidays.
Since I missed last year’s show, I was especially looking forward to the performance last night.
My thoughts about the show that OBT does hasn’t really changed over the years (this is a compliment). The show is much more family friendly than the Balanchine version in Seattle (no knock on them as I review shows there, too). I still find the choreography, sets, costumes, and overall presentation at OBT more approachable than any other version I’ve seen/reviewed.
One of the main reasons is the different levels of skill and experience is all over the production. From the young new OBS dancer, to an OBT trainee, to an OBT company dancer - you will see all of them on stage. And, most importantly, you will see all of them dance. I thoroughly enjoy watching the different skill levels grace the stage during the show (both acts I and II). I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: if I had a child enrolled in the Olympic Ballet School - I would feel quite good about what’s going on with my child’s dance education. Some of the other performances I’ve seen with other companies don’t utilize the choreography for all the levels. They focus on the older, more accomplished dancers, and the younger dancers are almost an after thought. With OBT’s show you get it all. And it’s wonderful.
One dancer that caught my eye with her work last night in Edmonds was Kirsten Rye. Her performance, particularly in Waltz Of The Flowers, was very noteworthy. Smooth and effortless, she really brought that piece to life in astounding ways. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her work with OBT.
And let me say - all of the dancers were fun to watch. I don’t believe in “participation awards” or any of that nonsense. So, when I say they were all fun to watch, I really mean they were all fun to watch.
When I first reviewed the OBT version of “The Nutcracker”, I had only been reviewing ballet for just over a year. Now, with it being just over seven years, I feel even better about saying that the Olympic Ballet Theatre version of “The Nutcracker” is the first version of the show that should be at the top of your list every holiday season.
Yes, it's that good. And throw in free parking (lot and/or neighboring streets in both Everett and Edmonds), plenty of nearby eateries before or after most shows, and you have yet even more reasons to check out a performance.
Happy Holidays,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
Olympic Ballet Theatre
Edmonds Center for the Arts
Edmonds, WA
Review: 12/20/25 7:00pm Performance
(Taylor Lim with Aurora Roach, Kirsten Rye, and Alison Walters. Everett,WA performance. @intodustphotography)
It’s that time of year again. One of the most beloved holiday shows is most definitely, “The Nutcracker”. It is very much a tradition for many families as well as many arts organizations during the holiday season.
Celebrating their 45th season, the Olympic Ballet Theatre has been producing a wonderful version of “The Nutcracker” for many years. I first saw/reviewed it in December of 2019 and have seen it every year since (minus 2020 for obvious reasons) and last year (which was due to illness). It’s a show that I have talked about on numerous occasions when people ask me about which shows to go check out during the holidays.
Since I missed last year’s show, I was especially looking forward to the performance last night.
My thoughts about the show that OBT does hasn’t really changed over the years (this is a compliment). The show is much more family friendly than the Balanchine version in Seattle (no knock on them as I review shows there, too). I still find the choreography, sets, costumes, and overall presentation at OBT more approachable than any other version I’ve seen/reviewed.
One of the main reasons is the different levels of skill and experience is all over the production. From the young new OBS dancer, to an OBT trainee, to an OBT company dancer - you will see all of them on stage. And, most importantly, you will see all of them dance. I thoroughly enjoy watching the different skill levels grace the stage during the show (both acts I and II). I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: if I had a child enrolled in the Olympic Ballet School - I would feel quite good about what’s going on with my child’s dance education. Some of the other performances I’ve seen with other companies don’t utilize the choreography for all the levels. They focus on the older, more accomplished dancers, and the younger dancers are almost an after thought. With OBT’s show you get it all. And it’s wonderful.
One dancer that caught my eye with her work last night in Edmonds was Kirsten Rye. Her performance, particularly in Waltz Of The Flowers, was very noteworthy. Smooth and effortless, she really brought that piece to life in astounding ways. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her work with OBT.
And let me say - all of the dancers were fun to watch. I don’t believe in “participation awards” or any of that nonsense. So, when I say they were all fun to watch, I really mean they were all fun to watch.
When I first reviewed the OBT version of “The Nutcracker”, I had only been reviewing ballet for just over a year. Now, with it being just over seven years, I feel even better about saying that the Olympic Ballet Theatre version of “The Nutcracker” is the first version of the show that should be at the top of your list every holiday season.
Yes, it's that good. And throw in free parking (lot and/or neighboring streets in both Everett and Edmonds), plenty of nearby eateries before or after most shows, and you have yet even more reasons to check out a performance.
Happy Holidays,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
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