Best Of Tucson®

Best Dance Production (Since 7/05)

Nutcracker / Stomp

In its second year as a fully professional company with paid dancers, Ballet Tucson once again put on the most classic of the city's cornucopia of Nutcrackers. Staged at Centennial Hall, the production had a charming Victorian sensibility, complete with an intricately choreographed snow scene, velvety Christmas costumes and scores of cute little dancing tykes. Prima ballerina Jenna Johnson made a lovely Sugar Plum Fairy.

The holiday confection would never make a buccaneer's menu, but foot-stomping Stomp undoubtedly would. The ever-popular, nationally renowned dance troupe clomp-clomped into Centennial Hall, making dance--and percussive sounds--out of everything from brooms to trash cans. Even a peg-legged pirate could join the jig.

Runners up:

3. TIE

Hansel and Gretel, NEW ARTiculations Dance Theatre, www.newarticulations.org

SEUSS!, Zuzi! www.zuzimoveit.org A Southwest Nutcracker, Tucson Regional Ballet, www.tucsonregionalballet.org