Snow White, Sugar Plums, and Frida Kahlo Walk Into a Theater…

It’s 90 degrees and your car’s AC is giving up, so naturally, now is the time to talk about… Christmas. Or more specifically, The Nutcracker. Yep, Atlanta Ballet is pulling a little “Christmas in July” magic and dropping up to 40% off Nutcracker tickets right now!

Even those who don’t usually take advantage of the ballet stage will really enjoy the gems tucked in this season for families, kids, and anyone who appreciates a story with a little sparkle. So here’s your heads-up: if you’ve got littles who’ve never seen a tutu twirl live or you’re just looking for a holiday tradition, Atlanta Ballet’s 2025–26 season has a few perfect entry points.

The Nutcracker

December 6–27, 2025: The Southeast’s biggest Nutcracker is back with full orchestration, flying sets, and a whole lot of holiday magic. You get 20 chances to catch it—and if your kid is still working on their theater attention span, check out the abridged Kids In Step versions (Dec. 9, 10, 11, and 16). Same nutcracking fun, shorter runtime.

Snow White

March 28–29, 2026: Atlanta Ballet 2’s one-hour version of Snow White is designed with the under-12 crowd in mind. Think costumes, narration, an evil queen who gets her comeuppance, and just enough time for a juice box intermission. There are even two Kids In Step community performances if you want a low-pressure intro to the world of ballet.

Frida

This one is for the teens (and the grownups who raised them on bedtime stories and bold women).

May 8–10, 2026: Frida is bold, rich, emotional—like if a painting came to life with pointe shoes and a live orchestra. If your older kid is in an “art is life” phase (or if you are), this one’s a powerhouse. It’s also choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, the same brain behind last year’s acclaimed Coco Chanel ballet.

So go ahead—bookmark the Cobb Energy calendar, grab those discounted Nutcracker seats while they’re hot, and plan to surprise your kid with something that doesn’t need batteries. Ballet might not have been on your radar this week, but turns out, it could be the seasonal magic you didn’t know you were missing.