Four of the most exciting ‘Nutcracker’ versions being staged in Philadelphia this season

Come holiday season, The Nutcracker doesn’t just grace stages. Its music fills shopping centers and hotel lobbies and helps people, who may have never even seen the ballet, soak in the holiday spirit. Such is the power of the holiday classic.

It’s the ballet that first captivated almost every professional dancer and the first one they performed in as a child. If you’ve only seen one ballet, there’s a good chance it’s The Nutcracker.

It’s also the ballet most companies rely on for a large percentage of their annual budget. And almost every professional company and every dance school has its own version.

Here are some coming soon to the Philly area.

Not sure your child can sit for a full-length production? The Rock School is premiering a new narrated one-act ballet version at the Miller Theater. Director Peter Stark has been involved in the Nutcracker for 50 years, as a child, professional dancer, and choreographer. This is the second version Stark created for the Rock School, while another Nutcracker he choreographed for Next Generation Ballet in Tampa has been running for 15 years. $10-$91. therockschool.org/nutcracker

The classic Balanchine Nutcracker is a lush production that many people enjoy revisiting year after year. It features a large cast of talented children, some of the best professional dancers in Philadelphia, the red-coated Philadelphia Boys Choir, and the full orchestra. Plus, so many magical moments such as a snowy stage, a tree that grows many times over, and a Nutcracker toy that turns into a prince. $28-$282, 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org

» READ MORE: The best Philadelphia dance shows coming to Philadelphia this fall (and winter)

If ballet isn’t your thing (or you’d like some variation), check out the stylish tap version Kat Echevarria Richter set in Paris. In her version, a Fairy Tap Mother rescues Clara from a boring dinner party and takes her on a journey from the Eiffel Tower, rides the metro, and ultimately ends up at the Palace of Versailles. All styles of tap are represented, from improv and rhythm tap to very stylized choreographed musical theater-style tap. $35-$65. ladyhoofers.org/the-tapcracker.html

While it is very slowly improving, the ballet world is heavily white. But, five years ago, Chocolate Ballerina Company’s Chanel Holland-Pierre decided to create a Nutcracker with a large cast, where Black and brown children could see performers who looked like themselves. In Nutcracker Dipped in Chocolate, Clara visits Egypt, Brazil, West Africa, and the carnival in Haiti. $55.20. chocolateballerinacompany.com