Performances

Moscow Ballet Returns to Lakeland with Great Russian Nutcracker!

Moscow Ballet’s celebrated Great Russian Nutcracker will be at Lakeland Center's Youkey Theatre on Friday December 27, at 7:30 pm.

The holiday favorite dramatizes the traditional story of Masha meeting her “Prince” and, exclusive to Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, adds a tribute to world peace as well.  The “Dove of Peace,” for which 2 dancers become one bird with a 20 foot wingspan, escorts Masha and Prince to the “Land of Peace and Harmony.”Celebrate the beauty of the holidays and the best of Russian ballet in Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker!

Tickets start at $28.00. Groups of ten or more receive discounts by calling 800-320-1733. For single tickets call Youkey Theatre Box Office at 919.684.4444 or online:

Lakeland Area Student Dancers to Join Moscow Ballet
Russians on Stage in December!

Lakeland area youth will be selected to perform alongside 40 Moscow Ballet professionals in the Great Russian Nutcracker at the Youkey Theatre at Lakeland Center in late December. Highland School of Dance will be the host studio for Moscow Ballet’s Student Program in Lakeland, and a Moscow Ballet soloist will serve as the Audition and Rehearsal Director.

Pictured here: Student dancers in a past performance of the Great Russian Nutcracker.

Every year since 1993, Moscow Ballet has engaged local ballet students and host studios in cities on the North American tour, offering them the most unusual opportunity of auditioning, rehearsing, and performing in a professional setting. Children ages 7 to 16, under 5”2” and with some ballet training are eligible to audition.

Highland School of Dance was opened in Lakeland in 1974 by Jane Coyle.The objectives and standards have always been to give the best dance education possible while instilling high moral standards to be used all through life and to enjoy the freedom that dance brings while learning the discipline that it demands.

"Heart-warming whimsy."
Arkansas Democrat Gazette

The Youkey Theatre is named for Robert Youkey, former Lakeland, FL city manager, and is known as the centerpiece of the Lakeland Center complex. The complex was established in 1974; the Youkey was renovated and other parts of the complex expanded in the mid-1990s. Today, Lakeland Center, namely its Youkey Theatre, hosts a variety of events including stage performances (dance, plays, etc.), sports, conferences, community events, concerts, and more. Youkey Theatre is home to the complex's annual Broadway and Entertainment series as well as the Imperial Symphony Orchestra.

2012 Highlights & Events

Meet the Masters at Capezio Orlando by Dancewear Corner!

Monday, November 5, 5 pm–7 pm

• Win prizes!
• See demonstrations!
• Meet a Moscow Ballet ballerina!
• Get 25% off CAPEZIO, BUNHEAD, & HARMONIE items!
• One lucky winner will receive tickets to experience Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker!

New in 2012, Moscow Ballet and Capezio have teamed up to bring you the finest dancers, great prizes, and biggest discounts in local dance stores in 20 cities across the US. Moscow Ballet soloist Svetlana Todinova will greet local dancers, talk about her career, demonstrate the proper wear and care of their hand-made Capezio Pointe shoes, and more!

For more information, visit www.nutcracker.com/capezio or call Sandra Quigley at 407.770.1080.

Capezio – 125 years ago Salvatore Capezio opened a shop on Broadway and created his hand-made pointe shoes. Today, Capezio continues to revolutionize the dance world with dancewear and footwear innovations for every dancer, from beginner to professional. Capezio is a staple in dance schools, and is frequently worn in TV shows, movies, Broadway shows, and touring performances. A cavalcade of luminaries has worn Capezio, from Anna Pavlova and Fred Astaire to Mick Jagger and Lady Gaga. Hundreds of stores carry Capezio products, and Capezio operates retail stores carrying full line of brands in New York City and major cities nationwide. www.capezio.com.

Moscow Ballet Soloists Visit Tampa Shriners Hospital 

Moscow Ballet soloists Natalia Miroshnyk, Anastasia Kazakova, and Vladimir Trystan visited children in the Tampa Bay Shriners Hospital for Children in June. The dancers toured the kid-friendly hospital and greeted young patients with smiles, hugs, and Moscow Ballet's cuddly Valentin the Bear. The colorful hallways came alive with excitement as the dancers went room to room visiting with children and their families.

The Moscow Ballet soloists are in Tampa Bay for 6 weeks leading "New Horizons – A Children's Program for Life" for 1,800 Pasco County elementary school children.

In the fall they will travel to 50-plus cities across the US, leading auditions and rehearsals for student dancers to perform alongside 40 Moscow Ballet professionals in the 20th Anniversary tour of the Great Russian Nutcracker.

Click here to find performance and audition information in Your City.

Shriners Hospitals for Children® is a one-of-a kind pediatric hospital system dedicated to improving the lives of children through innovative research, education and specialized treatment of orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate. With 22 hospitals in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, Shriners Hospitals for Children is committed to providing expert, family-centered care regardless of the patients' ability to pay and relies on the generosity of donors to deliver this mission every day. To support Shriners Hospitals for Children, go to www.donate2shc.org.