Taking in the endless cultural opportunities in NYC with my daughter is one of our favorite things. Over the past few years, we’ve experienced a lot of the traditional winter holiday activities and this year I introduced my daughter to the New York Theatre Ballet’s Once Upon A Ballet series which kicked off with The Nutcracker.

If you think your little ballerina is too young for the ballet, think again. The Once Upon A Ballet series is the perfect opportunity to introduce young children to classic ballet favorites in kid-friendly one-hour performances. This was just enough time for my five-year old to be mesmerized by the costumes and entertained by the dancing and not quite long enough to get hungry or bored. Win-win!

Upon entering Florence Gould Hall, kids are greeted by young dancers handing out programs, crayons and activity sheets. The venue is very comfortable and every seat is a good one even if there is a tall dad right in front of you! I was happy to see that I was surrounded by lots of parents with small children (no judgements here) and my daughter was equally excited to see all the little girls (and boys) dressed up in their holiday outfits.

When the first dancers came on stage, my daughter stared in awe.  As the story progressed, she asked questions, commented on the costumes and delighted in the international parade of sweets. We especially enjoyed watching the super cute junior ballerinas.

This weekend kicks off the ballet’s second show, Cinderella (February 7-8). If you’ve got a princess lover, this one is sure to please. We’ll be at the Sunday morning show so come say “hi.”

Next up, GOOSE! (March 7-8) which showcases various Mother Goose characters and Carnival of the Animals (June 6-7) about a shaggy lion and other animals in a magical forest.

If you’ve got a tiny dancer, you’ll definitely want to check these performances out!

Showtimes are 11 am, 1 pm and 3:30 pm so you won’t have a problem working around nap times. Tickets are $40 for adults and $35 for children and are available online at www.nytb.org, via Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787, or in person at the Florence Gould Hall box office.

If you’re looking for kid-friendly stops before or after, the theater is walking distance from Serendipity 3, Dylan’s Candy Bar, FAO Schwartz, Eloise at the Plaza, Central Park Zoo and many other attractions.

Thanks to the New York Theatre Ballet for providing our tickets.  As always, all opinions are my own. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!