A ballerina's graceful balance is inspiring to aspiring dancers, captivating to houses of cards, and vexing to bulldozers razing cliffside condor habitats. Dwell on adroit appendages with today's Groupon: for $12, you get front orchestra seating for the Charlotte Youth Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker at the Dale F. Halton Theater, located on the campus of Central Piedmont Community College. Choose from one of the following dates:

• Friday, December 3 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, December 4 at 5:30 p.m.

For more than 25 years, Charlotte Youth Ballet has offered local ballet students a chance to work with internationally renowned dancers, allowing young twirlers to perform their talents in professional-level productions. Charlotte Youth Ballet focuses on storybook performances, with The Nutcracker being their most popular production. This year's show will brim with lively, detailed sets, colorful costumes, and the captivating moves of Laura Valentín and José Rodgríquez, principal dancers with Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico. Take in Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score and become entranced by the timeless story of the war and diplomacy between the Mouse King and the Nutcracker. After watching this family-friendly ballet, spectators can attend an autograph session and chat with the dancers, many of whom interviewed actual toys, gingerbread men, and dolphins to prepare for this role.