09/02/2026
It started with one phone call.
In August of 1994, North Central Ballet was barely a year old when I called my friend Debbie at Dillard’s and asked, “What do you think about doing a Nutcracker?”
We had no costumes. No scenery. No theatre. Nothing.
So naturally, we decided to produce The Nutcracker.
What followed involved borrowed costumes from Little Rock, scenery purchased sight unseen in San Francisco, an extraordinary partnership with the Arts Council of Northeast Tarrant County—and more than a little nerve.
Thirty-two years later, North Central Ballet’s The Nutcracker has welcomed guest artists from some of the world’s great ballet companies, reached more than 150,000 schoolchildren, survived the pandemic by moving outdoors, and expanded to include Girl Scout and sensory-friendly programs.
Over the coming weeks, we are going to tell that story.
Not simply the history of a ballet, but the story of the dancers, families, teachers, volunteers and community partners who built a North Texas tradition.
It started with one phone call.
And thirty-two years later, the story continues.
THE NUTCRACKER
December 12–20, 2026
I.M. Terrell Performing Arts Center
Fort Worth, Texas
North Central Ballet
Northeast Tarrant County’s Leading Authority in Classical Ballet Since 1993
Ballet. Nothing Else.
