Behind the Curtain: Texarkana’s Nutcracker Tradition

Community Ballet of Texarkana Nutcracker

Classical ballet has been an important part of Texarkana’s arts scene since 1967, when three studio owners came together to stage the company’s first production, ‘Peter and the Wolf.’

Today, the Nutcracker ballet in Texarkana brings local dancers and families together each December at the historic Perot Theatre.

How Community Ballet of Texarkana Began

These three dance teachers, Judith McCarty (d. 2002), Dixie Splawn (d. 2011), and Sandra Robinson (d. 2025), brought their dance schools together and combined forces to bring ballet to Texarkana. In addition to the original three founding members, other board members have included Carol Cooper, Suzanne Barba, and Sandy Spellman.

By pooling their students and sharing costs, which can be significant, the three studio teachers and the new company presented the Texarkana region with its first ballet, ‘Peter and the Wolf,’ and now, 59 seasons later, the company is preparing for its annual production of the Nutcracker.

Bringing The Nutcracker to Texarkana

Texarkana has no professional dance company and usually receives visits only every few years from a national touring company.

Community Ballet of Texarkana (CBT) instead offers several hundred young dancers the opportunity to perform in the Christmas classic ‘The Nutcracker’ every year, including the major roles of Sugar Plum Fairy, Prince, and Cavalier, which are often danced in large cities by professional dancers brought in from major companies.

Early in the company’s history, several organizations assisted with the productions, including the Jaycees, the Junior League of Texarkana, and the Kiwanis Club. Volunteers assisted with fundraising, set building, and backstage assistance in the moving of sets and props.

Over the years, the company has grown to include as many as 14 studios in one season and has presented a range of ballets, including Les Sylphides, Babes in Toyland, Les Patineurs Waltz, and a Salute to Gershwin.

Many times, the annual Christmas performance is the first time audience members have ever seen classical ballet, and this is one of CBT’s major goals: educating local audiences in the art of ballet and providing performance opportunities for classically trained dancers.

How Dancers Are Chosen for The Nutcracker

Auditions for the December presentation at the historic Perot Theatre are held in August.

To ensure fair casting for everyone involved, the board brings in an outside auditioner, and only the board president may speak to the auditioner during classes and casting. The auditioner works with the students over the weekend and ultimately selects dancers for the full-length ballet.

Rehearsals start in late September, and four performances are held the first weekend in December.

Dancers come to the audition knowing it will be professional and fair, and it follows the same criteria as a professional company or school audition.

Since 2022, selections and variations from the Nutcracker annual performance have also been included in the ‘Christmas at the Perot’ performance by the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra.

Behind the Scenes: Rehearsals and Community

The rehearsal process is a marvelous lesson in cooperative learning, as up to seven local studios become one entity working toward a professional performance. Interestingly, most CBT teachers have danced in productions of The Nutcracker. Some teachers and directors have danced in multiple productions in multiple cities, and each brings something to the process.

Board members and member teachers lead various sections and variations in the ballet.

Rehearsals take place in CBT members’ studios; the ensemble rehearses at least once a week until close to the performance, and the leads follow a much more strenuous rehearsal schedule.

Community Ballet directors work with students from other studios, blending the strengths of many studios on stage; making new friends is one of the best benefits of Community Ballet of Texarkana.

Teachers who conduct Community Ballet rehearsals refrain from advertising personal studios and respect each student and teacher. Students range in age from eight to 19, except for local actors who play character roles and local adults who portray the parents in Act One, Scene One, Party Scene.

The company rents sets and backdrops but owns several main pieces, such as the canon, the throne, and the sleigh, and works tirelessly to keep production costs low and manageable.

Community Ballet of Texarkana’s mission is to instill a love of ballet in both students and audiences. Its efforts have served both sides of the curtain for 59 years.