Performer: Simon Thew

Stanton Welch's 2016 production of The Nutcracker for Houston Ballet is a wild and dazzling ride, even for those who think they've had enough of this warhorse of a ballet.

The company's annual contemporary trible bill marks the much-anticipated Opera House main-season debut of Alice Topp's Aurum, and reprises work by Stephen Baynes and Tim Harbour.