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    Nutcracker runs late Nov–Dec · raised center seats show the patterns

    Resident companies, repertory seasons and the Nutcracker rush. How ballet tickets sell and which seats show the dancing best.

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    By the Good Seats editorial teamUpdated How we research

    How ballet seasons are organized

    Ballet in the United States is built around resident companies (permanent troupes with their own dancers, school and orchestra) that perform seasons of several weeks in an opera house or performing arts center. The single biggest event on the calendar is The Nutcracker, which most companies stage from late November through December. If you are buying one ballet ticket a year, it is probably for that.

    A season mixes two kinds of program. Story ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle and Romeo and Juliet fill a whole evening with one narrative. Mixed repertory bills (often shortened to "rep") pair three or four shorter works, frequently by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins or a living artist making a premiere. Story ballets usually sell faster; mixed bills tend to leave more seat choice.

    The audience is dedicated but small. In the National Endowment for the Arts survey covering the 12 months ending July 2022, 2.0 percent of US adults attended a ballet in person, down from 3.1 percent in 2017 (NEA, Arts Participation Patterns in 2022). The survey window still reflected pandemic effects, but the shape holds: a loyal subscriber base most of the year, then a holiday surge.

    The two New York companies

    New York is home to two of the country's largest companies, and both perform at Lincoln Center.

    • American Ballet Theatre was founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, gave its first performance on January 11, 1940, and was designated America's National Ballet Company by Congress in 2006. As of 2026, the company lists fall and spring seasons at the David H. Koch Theater and a summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House, the 3,794-seat house where ABT has long staged its big full-length classics. Its holiday Nutcracker plays the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, rather than New York.
    • New York City Ballet was founded in 1948 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein and performs at the David H. Koch Theater, which opened in 1964 and seats 2,586 across an orchestra and a stack of rings (the horseshoe balconies above it). The company has the largest repertoire of any American ballet company. Its 2026–27 calendar runs a fall season through October 18, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker from November 27 to January 2, then winter and spring seasons, with a summer residency at Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

    At NYCB a mixed bill is a strong introduction, not a lesser night; at ABT the full-length classics are the marquee draw. The New York City guide covers the rest of the city's calendar.

    Major companies beyond New York

    Most large metro areas support a resident company that performs in the city's main opera house or performing arts center.

    • San Francisco Ballet, founded in 1933, is widely described as the oldest ballet company in the United States. It has been resident at the War Memorial Opera House since 1972, runs its repertory season roughly from January to May, and stages Nutcracker in December.
    • Boston Ballet, founded in 1963, performs at the Boston Opera House and has staged The Nutcracker every year since its founding, with more than 35 performances that use the whole company plus over 250 students from its school.
    • Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, founded in 1972, performs at McCaw Hall at Seattle Center and gives more than 100 performances a year.
    • Houston Ballet shares the Wortham Theater Center with Houston Grand Opera.

    Nutcracker month

    Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg on December 18, 1892. San Francisco Ballet staged the first complete American production on December 24, 1944, and New York City Ballet began its annual Balanchine version in 1954. Since then it has become the financial backbone of the art form in this country: major American ballet companies are reported to earn around 40 percent of their annual ticket revenue from it.

    That concentration shapes the market:

    • The peak: weekend matinees and evenings in the two weeks before Christmas sell first, along with the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.
    • The value window: weekday evenings in the first week of the run, and the performances between Christmas and New Year's Day at companies that play that late.
    • Touring productions: NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet bills itself as America's largest Nutcracker tour, and ABT's production plays California. A touring show stays only a night or two in most cities, so buy early if your city has one date.
    • Casting: most companies rotate several casts. If a specific principal dancer matters to you, check the casting calendar before you buy, since it is often posted only a few weeks ahead.

    Where to sit for ballet

    Ballet is a visual art built on feet, lines and floor patterns, so the best seat is not always the closest one.

    • Front orchestra rows: the first several rows sit below the stage floor and next to the orchestra pit. You see faces and costume detail, but you lose the dancers' feet and the shapes the corps de ballet (the ensemble) makes on the stage floor. They are a poor choice for Swan Lake or a Balanchine ballet with large ensembles.
    • Middle of the center orchestra: roughly a third to halfway back, the floor rises enough to show the full stage while staying close. This is the safe all-around choice.
    • Front of the first raised tier: the first rows of the First Ring at the David H. Koch Theater, or the Grand Tier and Dress Circle at the Metropolitan Opera House, look down on the stage. Ballet fans often prefer these seats because the patterns read clearly from above.
    • Side boxes and extreme sides: the Met's own seating notes flag the rear of the Grand Tier side boxes and the side boxes on the Dress Circle and Balcony levels as partial view. Side seats in any horseshoe house lose part of the stage on the near side, where entrances happen.
    • The top tier: the Metropolitan Opera House's Family Circle sits about 146 feet from the stage. Dancers look small, but center seats there show the full stage. Avoid the Family Circle score desks (301 to 324), which the Met lists as fully obstructed.

    For a child, an aisle seat at the front of a raised tier gives a clear view over adult heads.

    How ballet tickets sell

    Ballet companies sell first to subscribers (patrons who buy a package of programs before the season), then release single tickets. The Nutcracker is usually sold on its own, often with a separate on-sale date, because it draws a different and much larger audience.

    On the resale market, demand follows a few clear drivers: the holiday weeks, opening nights and galas, premieres by well-known choreographers, farewell performances by star dancers, and the full-length classics. Mixed bills on weeknights usually have the widest choice, and the best-located seats on those nights tend to be easier to find than for any Nutcracker weekend. Every order on Good Seats is backed by a 100% guarantee,.

    Tips for your first ballet

    • Check the running time. Full-length story ballets usually include one or two intermissions; mixed bills have a pause between each work.
    • Arrive early. Many houses hold latecomers until a suitable pause, which in ballet can mean missing an entire act or work. Check the venue's late-seating policy before you go.
    • Read the synopsis. Ballet has no spoken words, so a two-minute read of the program's plot summary makes a story ballet much easier to follow.
    • Dress comfortably. Most performances have no dress code; galas draw dressier crowds.
    • Bring binoculars if you sit in an upper tier and want to see facial expression.

    Ballet shares its houses with opera, so the Opera hub's notes on these theaters apply too, and the Dance hub covers modern and contemporary companies.

    Frequently asked questions

    When is Nutcracker season?

    Most companies stage The Nutcracker from late November through December. As of the 2026 season, New York City Ballet lists its run from November 27 to January 2.

    Where are the best seats for a ballet?

    The middle of the center orchestra and the front rows of the first raised tier give the best view of footwork and ensemble patterns. The first few orchestra rows sit below the stage and hide the dancers' feet.

    What is the difference between American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet?

    Both are New York companies at Lincoln Center. American Ballet Theatre, founded in 1939, is known for full-length classics; New York City Ballet, founded in 1948 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, is built on the Balanchine and Robbins repertory.

    Is The Nutcracker suitable for young children?

    It is the most common first ballet for children, with a fairy-tale plot, a familiar score and child dancers from the company's school in many productions. Matinees suit younger children best.

    What is the oldest ballet company in the United States?

    San Francisco Ballet, founded in 1933, is widely described as the oldest ballet company in the United States. It also staged the first complete American Nutcracker in 1944.

    Sources

    Card and header photos come from Wikimedia Commons contributors under Creative Commons or public-domain terms. Artist and license for each one are listed on the photo credits page.