The best dance shows in NYC this month

This magical 1954 production, set to Tchaikovsky's incredible score, includes the full New York City Ballet company and two casts of School of American Ballet students, as well as an onstage blizzard and a Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet. In the end, however, Balanchine's choreography is what holds it all together. It's enchanting. Note: Tickets go on sale to the general public on October 11, 2021.

Hanukkah in NYC won't be the same with this annual strip show: For 15 years, burlesque mavericks Darlinda Just Darlinda and Minnie Tonka have teamed up and turnt up the festival of lights as the wicked duo The Schlep Sisters, but this year they say they are blowing out the candles for good. First, however, they are offering one last serving of tasty kosher camp. Joining them for this final gelt trip are hosts Fancy Feast and Bastard Keith, DJ Momotaro, and naughty performers Zoe Ziegfeld, Tallulah Talons Allegra Meshuggah, Rara Darling, Madame Brassiere, Rita N Wink and Jonny Porkpie.

As part of its Once Upon a Ballet series, which is aimed at young children, NYTB presents an hour-long Art Nouveau version of the holiday ballet, complete with clockwork elves and an owl that flies over the audience. The set design is by Gillian Bradshaw-Smith and the costumes by Sylvia Taalsohn Nolan.

Dances Patrelle offers its annual performance of The Yorkville Nutcracker, set in 1895 New York and featuring adorable child dancers alongside the professionals. This year's 25th annual edition once again features Abi Stafford—a longtime New York City Ballet star who left the company in September—as the Sugar Plum Fairy, joined this time by current NYCB principal Jared Angle as her Cavalier.

Brooklyn Ballet's take on The Nutcracker, choreographed by artistic director Lynn Parkerson, emphasizes cultural and artistic diversity. Alongside sequences that hew to the classic 19th-century tradition are interludes featuring street dance, flamenco, belly dancing, Chinese dance, hoop dance and hip-hop. The cast of this year's edition includes Aliesha Bryan, the Red Dance Studio Chinese Dancers, Sira Melikian, ShanDien LaRance and Michael “Big Mike” Fields.

The State Ballet Theater of Ukraine visits New Jersey with its 55-performer version of the beloved Tchaikovsky holiday classic for a single performance at NJPAC. The production, revised last year, features staging and choreography​ by Andrey Litvinov.       

Choreographer David Parker and his Bang Group reprise their neovaudevillian version of The Nutcracker, a comedic deconstruction of the holiday classic that mixes tap, ballet, contemporary dance and disco. The cast for this 19th annual production includes students from Steffi Nossen School of Dance and e.g. dance.

This production interprets the classic with hip-hop choreography and an updated version of the holiday story; directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber and adapted by Mike Fitelson, the production features onstage DJs, an amped-up version of the Tchaikovsky score and a short opening act by rap pioneer Kurtis Blow. (The show plays at NJPAC on December 18 and then at Brooklyn's Kings Theater on December 19.)