A Washington Holiday Tradition: The History of Mary Day’s The Nutcracker
In December 1961, Mary Day, founder of The Washington School of Ballet, premiered the capital’s first full-length Nutcracker at Constitution Hall. Sixty-five years later, her production is back on stage. CityDance presents Mary Day’s The Nutcracker for the second year this December 19-20 at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre, as the organization celebrates its 30th anniversary. This is the story of one of Washington’s most enduring holiday traditions, and what it means to CityDance to carry it forward.
The woman behind it
Mary Day grew up in Washington and co-founded The Washington School of Ballet in 1944 with her mentor, Lisa Gardiner. She went on to found The Washington Ballet in 1976, and she trained generations of dancers who built careers with major companies across the country.
“She really is an icon to Washington, DC ballet and the grande dame of ballet in Washington…to be able to continue her legacy today in teaching her choreography has been very meaningful,” says Elizabeth Gahl, Repititeur. Gahl, a former Mary Day student herself, has performed nearly every role in this Nutcracker, including Clara, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Snow Queen. She joins a large class of CityDance staff and faculty who performed in this iconic production as young dancers.
1961: The Nutcracker debut at Constitution Hall
In December 1961, Day presented the capital’s first full-length Nutcracker at Constitution Hall, with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lloyd Geisler. Children from her school danced alongside professional dancers. The production became an annual holiday ritual, and it ran for more than four decades
A tradition that grew with the city
The production’s reach extended well beyond the theater. Excerpts of Mary Day’s Nutcracker were performed at the White House many times, in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. From 1992, the production was performed at the Warner Theatre. After Mary Day retired as artistic director of The Washington Ballet in 2004, her version of The Nutcracker was staged for many years by Patricia Berrend on her company, Olney Ballet Theater. Upon Mary Day’s death, the ballet was willed to Elvi Moore, former General Director of The Washington Ballet who provided the license for The Nutcracker to be performed by CityDance.
Back in the heart of D.C.
In December 2025, CityDance presented its inaugural production of Mary Day’s The Nutcracker at the Klein Theatre, performed by CityDance Conservatory students alongside guest artists. This year, we will bring it back to the Klein Theatre stage on December 19-20, featuring acclaimed artists including Ao Wang & Xavier Nunez of The Joffrey Ballet.
Says CityDance CEO & President, Alexe Nowakowski, “It’s very special for us that a pre-professional training school, not connected to a professional company, has the opportunity to produce a professional Nutcracker, and not just any professional Nutcracker, one that was originally created by someone who is a founder and pioneer of dance here in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.”
For our students, dancing this production means learning a role in a work with real roots in Washington’s dance history. For audiences, it’s a chance to share a story many D.C. families have loved for more than sixty years.
