The San Luis Obispo Movement Arts Center is once again mounting its SLOcentric interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s classic Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker: A San Luis Obispo Story, playing three shows over two days in the Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20 and 21 (tickets at cuesta.universitytickets.com).
SLO Movement is a conservatory-style dance studio founded in 2015 by Maartje Hermans-Lawrence and Ryan Lawrence, who created this version of the ballet. Set in 1894, it follows Clara, who lives on Buchon Street, as her dream takes her to a party, her home, and then a grand adventure “where her Nutcracker prince conquers terrifying tarantulas to reach the Land of Sweet Things: SLO’s historic Chinatown,” SLO Movement announced. “The production features cherished local elements including Ah Louis and Mr. Chong’s candy store, mercury mine workers, sheep and a shepherdess from the coastal dairy industry, wildflowers from the Carrizo Plain, and even a rattlesnake.”
“After seeing how deeply audiences connected with our local interpretation last year, we’re excited to bring this magical story home once again,” Hermans-Lawrence said. “There’s something truly special about watching families see their own community’s history come alive through dance.”
For more info, call (805) 704-3027 or email info@movementartscollective.org. ∆
This article appears in Dec 18-25, 2025.