December 12-21, 2024

an Interactive re-imagination of The Nutcracker

co-Presented by Red Nightfall Dance Theatre & Ventana Ballet

An Austin tradition since 2018

Tickets on sale now!

Executive Director, Director of Ventana Ballet - AJ Garcia-Rameau

Concept, Choreography, Artistic Director, Director of Red Nightfall Dance Theatre - Dorothy O’Shea Overbey

The Watchmaker’s Song is an immersive, culturally inclusive dance-theatre production based on the beloved ballet, The Nutcracker, performed at the historic Neill Cochran House Museum.

The Watchmaker’s Song showcases many different dance and theatrical traditions, from classical ballet to Spanish Flamenco, Egyptian Belly Dance, Traditional Chinese Dance, Bollywood, Irish Step Dance, American Tap Dance, Argentine Tango, Drag Performance, and more. Act One of The Watchmaker’s Song features Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s iconic arrangement of the Tchaikovsky score.

Our mission is to bring the Austin dance community together to honor our diverse traditions and celebrate our love of dance!

By presenting this performance in an immersive style at the Neill-Cochran House Museum we break down the barriers between performers and audience members, so dance of all kinds can be experienced in an intimate setting.

2024 will be our SEVENTH ANNUAL PRODUCTION

This nutcracker is different…

“…because of the chance it offered to dive inside this familiar work, to attend the party that kicks off the evening's adventure and take our own journeys to see cultures of faraway lands.

The Watchmaker's Song let us in on the action.

To be so close to something you know so well from afar is to see it anew. It is magical, and in a way that is all this show's own.”

-Robert Faires, the Austin Chronicle

A Letter from the Directors, 2023…

Dearest Distinguished Guests, 

Seasons Greetings! We are so excited to present to you this evening The Watchmaker's Song, our annual immersive twist on the classic story of The Nutcracker. 

In its sixth annual presentation at the Neill-Cochran House, The Watchmaker's Song features a jazzy and exciting score of music, written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. This upbeat rearrangement of Tchaikovsky's original Nutcracker score sets the stage for Act 1 of our performance, which takes place on the front lawn of the House, sharing the story of Clara and her Party Dancer friends, Dame Mouserink, Princess Pirlipat, the Nutcracker, and of course, the Watchmaker himself. 

Just after the grand appearance of the Snow Queen, the Watchmaker invites our guests into the House for Act 2 of The Watchmaker's Song, where guests may tour the various rooms, each of which feature a guest performer from various cultural dance traditions. This year, The Watchmaker's Song features Argentinian Tango, Spanish Flamenco, American Tap Dance, Egyptian Bellydance, Indian Bharatanatyam, and Traditional Chinese Dance. We are so proud to bring cultural inclusivity to the forefront of The Watchmaker's Song, highlighting the diversity of our local dance scene. In the back room, we invite all the guests to join us for a grand finale, where they meet Mother Ginger and the Dolls, and the Sugar Plum Fairy.  

It is the shared mission of Red Nightfall Dance Theatre and Ventana Ballet, the two co-presenters of The Watchmaker's Song, to provide performance opportunities to local professional performing artists, to highlight less heard artistic voices, to create more accessible options for guests to experience performance art, and to present art in a way that is immersive and unique. As always, we are truly grateful to our partners at the Neill-Cochran House Museum for hosting this special ballet year after year. 

With love & gratitude, 

Dorothy O’Shea Overbey
Artistic Director, Writer, & Choreographer of The Watchmaker’s Song
Appearing as The Snow Queen
Director of Red Nightfall Dance Theatre

AJ Garcia-Rameau
Executive Director & Producer of The Watchmaker’s Song
Appearing as The Sugar Plum Fairy
Director of Ventana Ballet