Press Releases

October 5, 2026

Tickets now on sale for Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet’s 17th annual “The Nutcracker”, December 19–20

 

PETOSKEY, Mich. — The Nutcracker is a special holiday tradition for much of the Northern Michigan community. The Crooked Tree Arts Center (CTAC) School of Ballet returns to the Great Lakes Center for the Arts on December 19 and 20 for their 17th annual production of The Nutcracker. For the second year in a row, this year's production will feature Principal dancers of the Miami City Ballet, Taylor Naturkas and Alexander Peters. Naturkas and Peters will perform the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier, respectively, closing out the second act of the ballet.

The Nutcracker season is especially significant for many of the CTAC School of Ballet families whose dancers perform in the show year after year. Many of the School’s current pre-professional level dancers have been dancing in The Nutcracker for nearly a decade, getting the opportunity to perform many of the various roles as they ascend the ranks of the program. 

“Getting the role of Clara is an absolute dream come true,” says pre-professional dancer, Sierra Schlehuber. “I am 13 years old and have been dancing in The Nutcracker for 8 years. My first year in the ballet I was a mouse and I can remember at that time and each year since aspiring to be like the dancers who were Clara.”

The performance experience is heightened for the School’s young dancers by getting to perform alongside professionals in the field, specifically Naturkas, who grew up training with CTAC School of Ballet. Her early training, under the direction of Artistic Director Heather Raue, led her to studying with the Miami City Ballet School at the age of 15. After receiving her Corps de Ballet contract in 2020, Naturkas quickly moved up the ranks of the company, and was promoted to Principal dancer this past March. She has performed many significant Principal roles with the company, including the Dewdrop and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, the Firebird in Firebird, and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake.

“Being at a small dance studio allows us all to become like family,” Schlehuber describes. “Taylor is my biggest inspiration and I look up to her like a sister. Getting to be Clara with her as Sugar Plum is more than I ever could have wished for! I hope I might inspire younger dancers the same way Taylor inspires me to work hard and set big goals.”

Peters is a seasoned professional dancer hailing from State College, Pennsylvania. He studied with the School of American Ballet and has danced professionally with the Kansas City Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet. He joined Miami City Ballet in 2017 as a Principal Soloist and was promoted to Principal in January 2019.  

Performances will take place on Saturday, December 19, at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, December 21, at 3 p.m at the Great Lakes Center for the Arts. Tickets are priced at $50 for adults, $15 for students, and $100 for box seats. A $150 “Friends of the School of Ballet” ticket option is also available to support the program further. All tickets are reserved seating only; no general admission seats are available. Tickets are available through the Great Lakes Center for the Arts by calling 231-439-2610 or visiting www.greatlakescfa.org.

This production of The Nutcracker is made possible by Patricia M. Kaine. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the CTAC Dance Scholarship Fund.

For more information about The Nutcracker or the CTAC School of Ballet, contact the Crooked Tree Arts Center at 231-347-4337 or visit www.crookedtree.org/ballet.

Caption: Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet's 17th Annual The Nutcracker will be performed December 19 and 20 at the Great Lakes Center for the Arts.  Image Credit: Marie Millard

Caption: Taylor Naturkas, Principal at Miami City Ballet and CTAC School of Ballet alumna, will perform the role of Sugar Plum Fairy.

Caption: Alexander Peters, Principal at Miami City Ballet, will perform the role of Cavalier.