Eighteen dancers perform cutting-edge contemporary works of modern dance from choreographers Aszure Burson, Alejandro Cerrudo and Swedish choreographer Mats Ek.

NEW CANAAN, Conn. (AP) - The gang's all here: the football fan, the chef, the teacher and the skier. And there's the Nutcracker prince from E.T.A. Hoffmann's classic Christmas story, who inspired them all.

The dancers stole our hearts and left an impact with their passionate and emotional routines — and to think: That was just through a TV screen.

Performing arts 2012-13 season preview

Ballet Arizona presents the 15th annual Ballet Under the Stars Sept. 20-29. This sunset performance series is free and open to the public at six Valley locations.

All Balanchine: The benchmark for modern dance, George Balanchine’s choreography is world-renowned. Ballet Arizona performs three of his ballets.

State Street Ballet, a professional dance company based in Santa Barbara, Calif., makes its Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts debut in Wickenburg at 7:30 p.m. Friday with the ballet “The Jungle Book.”

You may never look at Mother Nature quite the same way after seeing her through MOMIX’s lens.

ASU Gammage

ASU Gammage

ASU Gammage

Even though some people believe its storyline is difficult to follow, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” continues to be a favorite in musical theater. Kenny Grossman, artistic director of Spotlight Youth Theatre, said he chose to purr into the 2011-2012 season with the show for this reason.

Even though some people believe its storyline is difficult to follow, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” continues to be a favorite in musical theater. Kenny Grossman, artistic director of Spotlight Youth Theatre, said he chose to purr into the 2011-2012 season with the show for this reason.

Since childhood, my biggest stumbling block to fully embracing musicals — besides all that singing — has been my dogged inability to imagine that a mob of people could possibly burst spontaneously into perfectly synchronized song and dance.

Alice Korsick has an impressive resume that any performer would want as their own. She’s worked with top directors and entertainers and performed in the original casts of some of Broadway’s most beloved musicals. The Peoria resident appeared as a dancer in the original Broadway productions of “The Music Man” with Robert Preston; “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” choreographed by the legendary Bob Fosse; “Sail Away” with Noel Coward and “I Had a Ball” with Buddy Hackett, to name a few.

Produced in conjunction with Eight, Arizona PBS and directed by Emmy Award winner Deborah Novak, “Steven Caras: See Them Dance” looks at the life and artistry of America’s leading dance photographer.