New York City Ballet opens its annual holiday season of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ at 8 p.m. on Friday, November 28, with 45 performances presented through Sunday, January 4, at the New York State Theater. This year’s presentation of the holiday classic is part of Balanchine 100: The Centennial Celebration, NYCB’s year-long tribute to its co-founder in honor of the 100th anniversary of his birth.

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ opens NYCB’s winter 2003-2004 season, which has been designed to explore Balanchine’s heritage. As a boy in Russia, Balanchine danced several roles in the Imperial Ballet Company’s production of the ballet, and at the age of 15, he danced the role of the Nutcracker Prince. He spoke of The Nutcracker as being one of his favorite ballets from his childhood.

The Nutcracker was chosen by Balanchine to be his first full-evening production for NYCB. At that time of its premiere, on February 2, 1954, the ballet was relatively unknown in the West; the success of Balanchine’s production for NYCB paved the way for The Nutcracker to become one of the most popular ballets in America. It has been performed by NYCB in New York City every year since its premiere.

Set to Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky’s beloved score, New York City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ features choreography by George Balanchine, scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, costumes by Karinska, and lighting by Mark Stanley, after the original design by Ronald Bates. The production includes New York City Ballet’s entire roster of more than 150 dancers and musicians, as well as two alternating casts of 50 children from the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet.

Highlights of this world-renowned holiday production include a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet, an onstage snowstorm, and hundreds of elaborate costumes, including one for Mother Ginger that measures nine feet wide and weighs 85 pounds. The production’s grand finale involves one million watts of lighting, the most used in any New York City Ballet production.

Ticket prices are $93 to $26 for peak performances, and $82 to $20 for off- peak performances. New this season, New York City Ballet will offer a “Sweet Seat” VIP Package for $175. This package includes a premium center Orchestra seat, a keepsake photo taken with a character from the ballet, a complimentary souvenir book, and 10 percent off purchases at the NYCB Gift Shop.

Tickets are currently on sale through the NYCB website at www.nycballet.com, at the New York State Theater box office, and through Ticketmaster at 212-307-4100. For more information about tickets to any New York City Ballet performance, call 212-870-5570 or visit www.nycballet.com. The New York State Theater is located on the Lincoln Center Plaza at Columbus Avenue at 63rd Street.