Why Student Field Trips to See The Nutcracker Matter
Southern California Ballet Nutcracker Field Trip Intermission Activities
Every December, The Nutcracker casts its spell on audiences of all ages — but for students, seeing it live on a school field trip can be nothing short of a transformative experience. An excursion to see this enchanting production isn’t just a festive treat; it’s a meaningful opportunity to inspire learning, creativity, and personal growth.
Enhancing Cultural Awareness & Empathy
Live ballet introduces students to different cultures, histories, and emotions beyond their everyday experiences. This exposure increases kids’ tolerance, empathy, compassion, and grasp of historical time and place. Watching Clara’s magical journey while listening to Tchaikovsky’s timeless score helps students connect emotionally with characters and narratives unlike their own.
Stimulating Artistic & Creative Growth
The Nutcracker offers a doorway to the beauty of live performance, orchestral music, and dance. Watching skilled dancers perform can spark kids’ artistic curiosity. Teachers often find that students leave inspired to explore music, dance, or storytelling, planting creative seeds that flourish long after the curtain falls.
Strengthening Classroom Learning
The Nutcracker’s rich narrative, timeless music, and fantastical imagery support cross-curricular learning. Teachers can connect the performance to subjects like narrative structure, music analysis, history, and visual arts.
How to Make the Most of the Learning Experience
A little planning can go a long way toward ensuring students have an enriching learning experience:
Plan some pre-show class activities. Share age-appropriate previews of the story and Tchaikovsky’s suite. Most ballet organizations recommend giving students “a sneak peek” of the plot and music.
Discuss etiquette. Teach students to listen attentively, sit respectfully, and keep noise to a minimum, a courtesy that enhances their own experience as well as others’.
Engage in post-show reflection. Encourage journaling, creative writing, or artwork reflecting what they observed. This reinforces critical thinking and personal connection to the performance.
Why Southern California Ballet?
Southern California Ballet’s dedicated Nutcracker Show Field Trips offer performances tailored to classroom audiences. They provide the same high-caliber artistry as their public productions, while optimizing scheduling, venue accommodations, and student-specific educational support. By choosing SCB, educators ensure students have an accessible, high-quality introduction to ballet free of promotional distractions and full of pure artistic engagement.
Taking students on field trips to The Nutcracker is a powerful way to nurture empathy, creativity, discipline, and interdisciplinary learning. With appropriate preparation and guided reflection, the experience becomes more than a festive outing — it’s a formative cultural landmark in a student’s educational journey.
Sign up for Nutcracker Show Field Trips With Southern California Ballet
Southern California Ballet is a world-class dance facility in San Diego that trains dancers for a professional career, empowers people for a life of success, and welcomes the community to be part of an extraordinary experience. Our mission is to empower aspiring dancers to reach their full potential and to elevate the community through educational programs and imaginative performances.
Our Nutcracker Field Trip Shows make the stunning production of this famous ballet available at an affordable price for San Diego school groups, people with disabilities, and senior groups. Performances are offered during the school day and will take place on Thursday and Friday, December 18 and 19, 2025. Registration opens on September 9. Give your students a can’t-miss field trip they’ll remember for years to come!
Not a teacher or school administrator? You can still give kids the gift of a magical and educational Nutcracker experience by sponsoring a student. The cost to sponsor one student is only $8, but we welcome you to sponsor as many students as you can. For instance, a $160 sponsorship donation allows 20 students to attend The Nutcracker. Give today!
