Cosm and New York City Ballet Partner To Bring 'George Balanchine’s the Nutcracker' to Shared Reality This Holiday Season

The Iconic Holiday Classic Set to Make its Exclusive Shared Reality Debut at Cosm Venues in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, and Los Angeles

New York City Ballet (NYCB) and Cosm today announced a partnership to bring George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® to Cosm's Shared Reality venues in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, and Los Angeles this holiday season.

Captured by Cosm at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and produced exclusively for Cosm's 87-foot-diameter 12K+ LED domes, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® in Shared Reality will invite guests into the magic of one of the world's most iconic holiday productions. The experience will debut this November, leveraging Cosm's technology to expand access to the beloved tradition beyond New York City, with never-before-seen perspectives that completely reimagine the traditional viewing experience of attending Balanchine's masterpiece. Audiences will be immersed in the full scale and wonder of NYCB's iconic production - including the towering 41-foot Christmas tree, the timeless Snow Scene, and hundreds of world-class dancers, musicians, and young performers. To further elevate the experience, festive-themed food and beverage options will be offered, making George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® in Shared Reality the perfect holiday outing for families and friends.

"What an honor to partner with the world-renowned New York City Ballet and The George Balanchine Trust to witness The Nutcracker come to life in Shared Reality, an entirely new medium for this iconic performance," said Alexis Scalice, VP, Head of Cosm Studios at Cosm. "This partnership pushes the boundaries by uniting the arts with immersive technology, while honoring both tradition and innovation. Delivering on that promise this holiday season, we're transporting audiences directly onto the stage at Lincoln Center with never-before-seen vantage points exclusive to Cosm."

"In 1954 New York City Ballet's co-founder created his landmark production of The Nutcracker which is a jewel of our repertory and an annual highlight of the holiday season in New York City. Now, nearly 75 years after the work was first performed, New York City Ballet is thrilled to partner with Cosm to present a brand-new way to experience the beloved classic," said Katherine Brown, NYCB Executive Director.

Added Brown, "I would also like to thank Karen Brooks Hopkins and Matt Hopkins (ACONA Real Estate Advisors) for introducing NYCB to Cosm and opening the door to this bold project that will expand the reach of New York City Ballet's legendary production to new audiences across the country."

"Through Cosm's extraordinary use of immersive technology, audiences will experience George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® as never before, going inside the production where they will feel like an onstage guest at the Stahlbaums' holiday party where the magical story begins. They will then be transported to the forest for the iconic Snow Scene with its dazzling blizzard of ballerinas, and finally to the second act's Land of the Sweets, where they will have a view of the festivities previously only experienced by the Sugarplum Fairy herself," said Jonathan Stafford, NYCB Artistic Director.

Since its premiere in 1954, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® continues to draw more than 100,000 audience members to Lincoln Center each year. Set to Tschaikovsky's score and featuring Balanchine's original choreography, with additional staging by NYCB co-founding choreographer Jerome Robbins, NYCB's production is widely considered the definitive American staging and is celebrated for its unmatched scale, artistry, and emotional resonance.

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® in Shared Reality was filmed during NYCB's 2025-26 season. The leading dancers for the production will include NYCB Principal Dancers Tiler Peck as The Sugarplum Fairy, Roman Mejia as Her Cavalier, Mira Nadon as Dewdrop, Emma Von Enck as Marzipan, and Taylor Stanley as Herr Drosselmeier, along with more than 50 dancers from NYCB and 70 students from the School of American Ballet, the official school of NYCB. The score by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky will be performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra led by NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton and featuring The Boys of the Saint Thomas Choir. The production features scenery by Rouben Ter-Artunian, costumes by Karinska, and lighting by Mark Stanley after the original lighting design by Ronald Bates. This project was developed in collaboration with Cosm Studios, as well as adapted and directed by Philippe Safir, director, executive producer, and screenwriter.

Cosm has been a force in bringing a wide array of sporting events and entertainment programs to their venues. This newest partnership with NYCB is Cosm's first venture into the world of ballet and the classical arts, adding to its growing catalogue of performing arts and theatrical programming, which includes Cirque du Soleil's "O" and Mystère in Shared Reality.

Additional information regarding showtimes and ticketing for George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® in Shared Reality at Cosm will be announced at a later date. Fans can sign up for Cosm's newsletter to be among the first to know when more details are released.

About New York City Ballet (NYCB)

New York City Ballet (NYCB) is one of the foremost dance companies in the world. The Company was founded in 1948 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, and quickly became world-renowned for its athletic and contemporary style. Jerome Robbins joined NYCB the following year and, with Balanchine, helped to build its unparalleled repertory. Today, the Company has over 90 dancers, a 62-member orchestra, an official school (the School of American Ballet), an institute for choreography (the New York Choreographic Institute), and an annual 21-week season in New York. Now under the direction of NYCB Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford, NYCB Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, and NYCB Executive Director Katherine Brown, NYCB is committed to promoting creative excellence and nurturing a new generation of dancers and choreographers. To learn more about NYCB, visit www.nycballet.com.

*Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. *

The Travelers Companies, Inc. is the Global Sponsor of New York City Ballet.