What happens when you mix the freedom and excitement of summer camp with the sparkling magic of the holiday season?
You get the Nutcracker Party Scene Intensive at Wayne Center for the Arts.
This one-of-a-kind summer experience invites young performers and families to step into the enchanting world of The Nutcracker months before the snow begins to fall. While summer is in full swing outside, inside we will be preparing for candlelit parties, festive dances, theatrical storytelling, and the timeless magic of one of the world’s most beloved holiday productions.
Where Holiday Magic Begins
For one week this summer, Wayne Center for the Arts will transform into a place where summer camp and winter wonder collide, and young performers can begin their journey into the timeless world of The Nutcracker.
The famous Party Scene at the beginning of The Nutcracker is filled with excitement, imagination, music, laughter, and movement. It’s the heart of the story where audiences first step into Clara’s magical world.
Through theater games, choreography, character work, movement, storytelling, and ensemble activities, participants of all ages will help bring that festive world to life together while preparing for Wayne Center for the Arts’ full winter production of The Nutcracker.
Campers will explore:
- Character acting and stage presence
- Party Scene choreography and staging
- Ensemble performance skills
- Theatrical storytelling and expression
- Confidence, creativity, and collaboration
Whether experienced performers or completely new to the stage, this intensive is designed to be full of creative joy.
A Summer Experience Families Will Remember
One of the most special parts of The Nutcracker is the sense of community it creates. Generations of performers and families often carry memories of the production for years: the costumes, backstage excitement, friendships, music, and traditions that become part of the holiday season itself.
The Nutcracker Party Scene Intensive offers families the chance to begin that experience together long before winter arrives.
Christmas in July
There is something wonderfully unexpected about hearing The Nutcracker music while summer sunshine pours through the windows, about creating holiday magic in the middle of July, about stepping into a snowy story while the world outside is green and glowing.
That contrast is part of the magic!
The snow may still be months away, but the magic starts now.
Led by Brittany Kranstuber (Eckstrom), this special four-day summer intensive invites performers ages 8 through adult to step into the magical world of The Nutcracker while preparing for WCA’s 2026 holiday production. Brittany brings more than 14 years of performing arts education experience across public, charter, and nonprofit arts communities, along with a passion for creating joyful and meaningful arts experiences for performers of all ages.