Keeping the magic of The Nutcracker alive year after year demands continuous, dedicated effort and coordination of many moving parts. Fortunately, Atlanta Ballet can depend on experts like Nicole Walters, Atlanta Ballet's Director of Production, to guarantee the show is spectacular every single performance.

Since joining Atlanta Ballet in 2020 and rising over the years to her current role, she has personally overseen more than 100 Atlanta Ballet Nutcracker performances. This huge holiday show is a logistical feat, requiring the crew to dedicate roughly 40 hours just to getting the production loaded into the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre each year. We had the pleasure to speak directly with Walters about what it takes to put on Atlanta Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

How did you get into ballet production as a career field?

My path into dance production was a happy accident that began in college while researching a thesis on touring stage management. After connecting with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, I shadowed their team and was offered a summer internship.

That summer in New York, I fell completely in love with dance, spending five days a week in the studio with legends like Judith Jamison, Geoffrey Holder, and Carmen de Lavallade. Witnessing the creative process firsthand, I told the Senior Director, "You should hire me," and they did. I started as the Ailey School Production Manager and quickly moved to Assistant Stage Manager. That internship ignited my passion for ballet and dance production, and it ultimately led me to the career I’m in today.

What does an average day or normal week look like in your current position?

No two days are the same, but a typical week involves planning the next season, reviewing schedules and budgets, and leading production meetings. I coordinate all departments from lighting and scenic to stage management and crew to ensure seamless operations. Once in the theater, my focus shifts entirely to troubleshooting tech rehearsals and notes.

Take the famous chair transformation scene in Act I. From an engineering perspective, what was the most complex logistical challenge involved with pulling this illusion off?

The challenge is making the transformation appear effortless, which requires precise, synchronized timing between automation, lighting, and stage crew. Stagehands move the large chair and cabinet onto stage while scenery and props move in sync as a perfect marriage of choreography and mechanics. Every cue must align down to the second, because one mistimed move can break the theatrical illusion.

Where is the Director of Production's control center during a performance?

This year, a stage manager will call the show, freeing me to be backstage to manage and oversee each performance. The Nutcracker is a massive production with no room for error, so my constant oversight is crucial to preventing any costly mistakes.

What makes The Nutcracker consistently more involved or complex to put on than other shows in the season?

As our largest production, The Nutcracker features a sizable cast with dozens of dancers, children, live musicians, and crew, along with elaborate costume changes and extensive technical elements. Coordinating all these moving parts over multiple weeks requires constant precision for each performance. It’s both a tradition and a technical marathon.

After all the technical challenges are met, what is the one thing you enjoy most about seeing the finished Nutcracker performances?

The Kids in Step performances are always the most rewarding part of my job. Kids in Step is a program Atlanta Ballet offers to metro Atlanta youth to experience a live show and learn about what it takes to execute that production. This program features a little something for everyone: theatrics, classical ballet, humor, beauty, and even a crash course in backstage production magic.

Knowing that I played even a small part in bringing magic into young lives means everything to me. Many of the kids who see The Nutcracker through our Kids in Step program have never experienced live theater before, and hearing their gasps, laughter, and pure excitement makes the long — and sometimes grueling — week worth it. That’s what theater is about: bringing people together, offering them a few hours of escape, and hoping the experience leaves a lasting imprint on them.

Experience the enchanting world of The Nutcracker come to life as Nicole Walters and all of Atlanta Ballet brings you something spectacular this holiday season. Witness dazzling stagecraft and technical mastery at the state-of-the-art Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, from December 6 to 27, 2025. Tickets are selling fast!