December 2, 2025
The holiday season at the Egyptian Theatre wouldn’t be complete without the timeless tradition of The Nutcracker performed by the Beth Fowler Dance Company. For over three decades, this dazzling production has filled the theatre with the magic, music, and memories of the season — delighting audiences young and old. This year, Marketing Intern Juli Reyes talked with with Beth Fowler, founder of the Beth Fowler School of Dance, to talk about the enduring charm of The Nutcracker, the importance of nurturing young dancers, and what makes performing at the Egyptian Theatre such a special part of the Fowler family’s Christmas season.
JULI: Why do you think the audience and the alumni continue to return to shows and the Beth Fowler Dance Company?
BETH: Past and current dance families, as well as the general public, have been coming to our shows for years because they love going on a journey that these stories take them on through talented dancers, beautiful scenery sets, and costumes! We make sure that all our shows are very entertaining for audience members as well as beneficial opportunities for our dancers. Both are very important.
One of my absolute favorite reasons the Alumni return is because they bring their children to me to train. It is truly a very special family.
J: What is valuable about having pre-professional dancers in your shows?
B: I feel it is important for the dancers to have “stepping stone” opportunities at every level of their training. Having our professional-level dancers that our younger dancers look up to keeps them inspired and setting goals for themselves. Our “Stepping Stone” Roles for our younger dancers also help them to prepare for the professional-level roles that they will eventually step into.
Having our professional-level dancers in our shows also sets the bar high for audience members. They often say, “There is no reason to go into the big cities to see the Nutcracker and other shows, when we can see the same thing right here at DeKalb’s Egyptian Theatre, presented by the Beth Fowler Dance Company!” Over time, we have built a reputation for presenting high-level, entertaining shows.
J: While The Nutcracker is the most popular ballet show for Christmas, would you ever consider a different show to rotate during the holidays?
B: Probably not, because over the past 32 years, our Annual Nutcracker Production has become such a tradition for our dance families, and traditions are difficult to break when they are so beloved. This is the very reason we bring back a special “Alumni Nutcracker” Celebration Performance with our Alumni dancers every 10 year Anniversary. We are planning our next one for 2028.
J: You’ve stated you wanted your audience to be “feeling like a child at Christmas” when watching the show; why is that feeling important for people to experience?
B: The spirit of Christmas comes from our childhood memories, family traditions, and the magic that makes everyone feel like that child at Christmas, no matter their age. Our Nutcracker Production highlights family gatherings, holiday traditions, and brings to life memories of past Christmas Seasons. This puts everyone in the Christmas Spirit when they come to see our magical and colorful production of “The Nutcracker!”
J: What is it like to spend part of the holiday season at the Egyptian Theatre?
B: It is a big part of the Fowler Family Christmas, and the show is a Family Affair! My husband Bob builds the props and scenery sets, and our children perform both on stage and help backstage… including our children’s spouses.
The Fowler Family Christmas tree may stand bare in November during Nutcracker preparations, but since our Nutcracker is early enough (during the first weekend in December), it still gives the Fowler Family time for special Fowler Family traditions. Family is so important to us, whether you are family by blood or by a loving connection. Our dance family has taught us to just open our arms a little bigger.
J: Do you have a favorite memory you can share about any of the times you have directed The Nutcracker in DeKalb?
B: I actually have 2 very special Nutcracker memories. In 2018, we celebrated our 25th Anniversary of our Nutcracker Production. To celebrate, we welcomed back alumni dancers from the past 25 years to perform and/or help with a reception reunion! You could feel the love from the audience through their enthusiasm and support for the alumni performers. It was a loving reunion of people that literally brought tears to these performers’ eyes while they were dancing on stage. It was a dream come true. We have now decided to do this every 10 years.
The other memorable Nutcracker was in 2020! While most people struggled with the challenges of 2020, we rose to the occasion to think outside the box. We converted our live performance of The Nutcracker into a full-length Nutcracker Movie, complete with dialogue, a written script, on-site filming locations, green screen, and other special effects through the art of film. Our dancers were treated like movie stars and received the experience of what it is like to work on a movie set. It brought so much joy and hope to 2020!
