Highlighting Ballet Austin’s footprint in the Austin community

Since 1956, the nonprofit Ballet Austin has built a repertoire of artistic performances for the community to enjoy and incorporate into their holiday traditions.

How it started

Artistic Director and Choreographer Stephen Mills began his career with Ballet Austin in 1986 as a dancer with the company. In 2000, Mills was named principal choreographer and has since been instrumental in the Austin community through dance.

During his 24 years of directing, Mills had roles in such productions as “Belle, A Tale of Beauty and the Beast,” “The Nutcracker” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

The impact

Ballet Austin’s version of “The Nutcracker” took shape over time with dance changes and updated costume design, he said.

“Some people have grown up with this dance since they were very young and some of our audience members have been coming for 30 to 35 years,” Mills said. “The most important thing to me is to honor the way (audience members) use dance as part of their holiday experience and make sure it is as welcoming and pretty as possible.”

For the 2023-2024 season, approximately 40,000 community members attended a screening of the production.

Dig Deeper

Mills draws creative inspiration from his own taste in dance style and the work of choreographers around the world. He said he aspired for his creative choices to expose audiences to the wide range of elements that make up dance.

“Dancing is not a thing,” Mills said. “It’s not just ‘The Nutcracker.’ It’s a myriad of other things and expressions. My goal is always to help people on their journey to understanding this.

Check it out

In addition to its performances, Ballet Austin offers dance and fitness workshops and classes for adults. The nonprofit’s Ballet Austin Academy offers dance classes in various styles starting at age 15 months.

The 62nd annual production of “The Nutcracker” will feature 15 performances Dec. 6-23 at the Long Center. As the longest-running production of the classic in the state of Texas, more than two million people have attended performances of the production over the past six decades, a press release states.