DATE December 11-14, 2026 LOCATION Edison Theatre Everyone’s favorite holiday classic, reimagined to take place right here, at the St. Louis 1904 World’s Fair! 26/27 Season Coming Soon OVERVIEW Clara and her sisters eagerly prepare for bed on Christmas Eve. After discovering a special walnut trinket, the family is reminded of the magical Toymaker they met at The World’s Fair. Share in their journey as Clara, Louisa, and Marie dance through a dream filled with familiar sights, sweets, and sounds. What more surprises await on Christmas morning? Ballet 314 brings St. Louis’ favorite historical event and everyone’s most treasured holiday classic together in this unique re-telling of “The Nutcracker & the 1904 World’s Fair.” Based on the original story by E.T.A. Hoffman, re-imagined as “The Nutcracker & The World’s Fair” by Rachel Bodi & Robert Poe. PERFORMANCE DETAILS Sensory Friendly Morning Performance Evening & Matinee Performances with ASL Interpretations Run Time: Approx. 90 minutes with one 15-minute intermission TICKETS $45 for Adults | $30 for Senior/Student/Artist/WashU Staff | Groups of 20+ $25/each Sensory Friendly Performance $20 for Individual Tickets | Groups start at $7 ⚠️ Buyer Beware! Tickets purchased through the Washington University Box Office or online via AudienceView (also known as OvationTix) are the only approved tickets for this event. Purchases made through a third-party vendor such as StubHub, Ticketmaster, or MetroTix will NOT be valid for entry to the Theater. Single Tickets Group Reservations CLARA'S PICNIC A family favorite experience! After the show*, join the Sugarplum Doll and her friends for a special meet and greet and picnic refreshments fit for a day at the World's Fair. Every Clara's Picnic also includes a Nutcracker boutique coupon. Cost: $15 add on *Offered following Saturday and Sunday 1:00pm Performances. SENSORY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES Designed for guests of all abilities, featuring live full length audio description by Mind's Eye, dimmed lights, moderate sound, and an interactive intermission.

AUDITIONS 26/27 Company Auditions Ballet 314 is not actively accepting audition applications for the 26/27 season. Any materials received will be kept on file for future consideration. While candidates are not guaranteed a response from the Artistic Director, we appreciate your interest in Ballet 314. General details about Ballet 314: listed for future reference - Ballet 314 has no 26/27 company positions available Ballet 314 is non-profit professional dance company. We look for classically and modern trained artists of all body types and gender expressions who excel at storytelling with a heart to serve the community. Keeping with our mission to showcase local talent, we actively seek dancers of color to help us more fully represent the spectrum of St Louis. Ballet 314 offers Resident Artists main stage and community performance opportunities between the months of August - June. Resident Artists are expected to participate in company class and rehearse 4 days per week. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with our company! Looking for local performance opportunities? Visit the Nutcracker Community Cast page for more information about our annual "The Nutcracker and The World's Fair" community auditions.

Rachel Bodi Executive Director rachel@ballet314.org Biography Rachel Bodi is the co-founder and Executive Director at Ballet 314, and also a dance educator as adjunct faculty of dance at Missouri Baptist University, and pre-professional instructor of dance at Devine Performing Arts. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rachel trained at the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh and pre-professional intensives (School of American Ballet, Chautauqua, Nashville Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theater- presently Charlotte Ballet), eventually launching her professional career in 2008. She has enjoyed performing and teaching in the St. Louis region for the past 14 years. Prior to founding Ballet 314 alongside Robert Poe, she enjoyed careers with Missouri Ballet Theatre (2011-2017), Common Thread Contemporary Ballet (2018), and Nashville Ballet 2 (2008-2011). She has appeared as a guest artist with Texture Contemporary Ballet (2011, 2012) and Winter Opera St. Louis (dancer, choreographer 2022, 2023, 2024). In addition to the Executive Director role at Ballet 314, Rachel performs as a Resident Artist, and acts as the company's Education Director. She has commissioned both full length classical and contemporary works for Ballet 314 including: co-writing and producing "The Nutcracker & the World's Fair," and her newest classical ballet work "Astra Planeta." Original educational dance programs include "Assemblé," "Fiona Flamingo," "llama llama & friends," and co-choreographing and adapting "Chocolat," a bilingual Spanish/English story ballet. Additional choreographic credits include collaborations with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (Dance Party!, Wild Symphony, A Zoo Called Earth, Howl at Powell), Sheldon Concert Hall (Dance the Story: Sleeping Beauty, Dance the Story: The Nutcracker & the World's Fair), St. Louis Art Museum (Monet/Mitchell), and Winter Opera St. Louis (Holiday Extravaganza, The Gondaliers, Naughty Marietta). Rachel has choreographed pre-professional recitals, competitive, and concert dance works in her roles on staff at MBU and DPA. Additional performance credits include Jenny Drugg in "The Ride" independent film. (est. 2026 release). Through founding Ballet 314, Rachel aspires to continue fostering a deeper sense of community both within our organization and in the arts community as a whole, and to continue to provide accessible, inclusive, and diverse arts education programming. Back to Leadership

CONTACT Address Email 331 N. New Ballas Rd. P.O. Box 37032 St. Louis, MO 63141 support@ballet314.org Phone Number 314-669-5191 Do you wish to attend open company class? Email support@ballet314.org to receive access to our open class portal. You can also contact us by using this form: First Name Last Name Email Subject Leave us a message... Submit We will be in touch shortly! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER Enter your email here Subscribe Thanks for subscribing!

Megan Buckley Founding Company Member Megan Buckley, grew up in West County and graduated with Honors in Music from Marquette. She received formal dance training from Alexandra School of Ballet & Company/ honor company at Regional Dance America, earning multiple merit scholarships. She won 1st place at National Society of Arts & Letters-STL, furthered education at summer intensive workshops at ABT (NY, TX, AL), Kansas City Ballet under Todd Bolender scholarship, Joffrey (NY& Midwest), Nashville Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet and Glenda Brown’s Choreography Project. After graduating, Megan studied at Joffrey Ballet NY Trainee program, Nashville Ballet School under scholarship and then performed professionally with Milwaukee Ballet 2, Portland Ballet in Maine, Thodos Dance Chicago, Verb Ballets in Cleveland, Common Thread Contemporary Ballet, Collective Motion, Owen/Cox Dance Group in Kansas City, & as alum at Alexandra Ballet. She currently performs & choreographs for various productions in the STL area, and performs with Ballet 314 as a founding Resident Company Dancer. Favorite roles performed in her professional career include: “Sugar Plum Fairy”, “Clara”& “Snow Queen” in multiple productions of The Nutcracker across the country, choreography by Laura Alonso (of National Ballet of Cuba) as “Kitri” in Don Q ‘Grand Pas,’ Daniel Precup in Spartacus ‘Grand Pas,’ “Wendy Darling” in Peter Pan by Pamela Pribisco, and contemporary works by internationally recognized choreographers. She completed her 500 hour Comprehensive Core Dynamics Pilates Certification, and is passionate about educating the next (and current) generation of dancers as the owner of Studio Pointe Dance and Fitness. In her free time, Megan loves parks, traveling, any local foodie place & seeing live music! Return

Laura Roth 2nd season with Ballet 314 Laura, a native of Jacksonville, IL, started her career dancing with contemporary dance companies in St. Louis--four seasons with Common Thread Contemporary Dance Company and two seasons with Leverage Dance Theater. Throughout that time and continuing since, she has performed in and/or choreographed for freelance projects, working with Space Station Dance Residency, Masterworks Chorale, Spare Parts Dance Company, Washington University Master's students Mariko Kumanomido and Leah Korn, and more. She has also independently produced two dance concerts: To Fill Your Cup (2021) and ALONE TIME (2024). Laura teaches ballet and choreographs musicals at Gateway Center for Performing Arts and holds a BA in Dance from Southeast Missouri State University. Return

Isabella (Bella) Schmitt 1st season with Ballet 314 Isabella (Bella) Schmitt grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and began dancing at the age of 4. In 2020, she moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from Point Park University. While in the conservatory, Schmitt trained under professors such as Jae Man Joo, Jesse Factor, Kiesha Lalama, and Susan Stowe. Her artistry and dedication at school allowed her to work with choreographers such as Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa, Twyla Tharp, and Yoshiaki Nakano, among others. Closing out her senior year, she had the opportunity to perform as the “Jumping Girl” soloist in George Balanchine’s Who Cares?. Before and during her time in college, Bella invested many hours performing in fundraisers in her hometown. She helped support local charities and businesses while performing for events such as the CARTI Festival of Fashion, Wardrobe Wednesday, and “Thriller” at the Little Rock Zoo, all in collaboration with Allison Stodola Wilson at Shuffles and Ballet II. Following her college graduation in 2024, she joined Saint Louis Dance Theatre (previously The Big Muddy Dance Company) as a trainee and explored contemporary and experimental movement. Bella is thrilled to be her first season with Ballet 314. Return

NEWS & MEDIA The Nutcracker & The World’s Fair | Trailer | Ballet 314 Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing The Nutcracker & The World’s Fair | Trailer | Ballet 314 00:33 Play Video Now Playing Beyond the Barre: Ep 1. Trailer 00:24 Play Video Now Playing Beyond the Barre: Ep 2. Trailer 00:24 Play Video Articles Read Article Ballet 314 tells the story of Salem through dance St. Louis Magazine Read Article Three local dance companies are driving innovation.... STL Magazine Read Interview Meet Rachel Bodi Voyage STL Magazine Inspiring Stories from St. Louis Read Article Guide to St. Louis Dance Companies STL Post Dispatch Read Blog Post Black History Month Spotlight On: Robert Poe St Louis Dance HQ Read Interview Meet Robert Poe Voyage STL Magazine Inspiring Stories from St. Louis View Interview Ballet 314 Presents: Angels & Demons Fox2News Read Blog Post Women's History Month Spotlight: Rachel Bodi STL Dance HQ Read Interview Meet Ballet 314 STLMade Conversations Reviews 12/30/2025 HQ Review: The Nutcracker and the World’s Fair In this clever retelling, choreographers and directors Rachel Bodi and Robert Poe incorporate an exciting chapter of St. Louis’ history into the ballet. The World’s Fair serves as an ideal backdrop for this magical story—a real-life event that engendered wonder and novelty, catapulting people of the time out of their everyday lives and connecting them with exciting new ideas and cultures. Read More 6/5/ 2024 HQ Review: The Accused ...To conclude, Ballet 314 did not provide a show with a general theme. Instead, they created a show to demonstrate the versatility of their dancers. The Lark Ascending showcases the dancers’ technical expertise, Envy of Angels their emotional quality of movement, and The Accused their acting capabilities. The night was truly about the dancers, and they delivered. Read More 5/18/2023 HQ Review: Ragtime This ballet doesn’t just expose its audiences to harsh realities...it immerses audiences in the raw emotions from these experiences from start to finish. Read More 10/26/2023 HQ Review: Fall Fête: Twisted Tales Fall Fête celebrated Ballet 314’s growth as a company and took the audiences’ breath away with gorgeous dancing and engaging stories behind the pieces performed. Read More

MAIN STAGE REPERTOIRE Presented Annually in October Fall Fête Annual fundraiser that highlights Ballet 314’s professional company through contemporary ballet choreography and storytelling – all with an autumn twist. Read Review Stream Presented annually in December The Nutcracker & The World's Fair Ballet 314 unites St. Louis’ favorite historical event with the treasured holiday classic in this narrated, unique re-telling of "The Nutcracker". Enjoy the classical Tchaikovsky score with a reimagined storyline and characters. Read Review View Trailer Stream Presented on May 30 & 31, 2025 Skip Viragh Center for the Arts The Accused Experience the world premiere of The Accused. This harrowing ballet unveils the gripping story of Tituba, the first woman accused in the Salem Witch Trials. Inspired by "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller and "I, Tituba" by Maryse Condé. Read Review Stream Presented on May 14, 2023 Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center Ragtime A unique re-telling of E.L Doctorow’s epic American novel. Three families from different racial and cultural backgrounds navigate the social change during the turn of the century in New York. Read Review Stream

MISSION STATEMENT Ballet 314, led by Artistic Director Robert Poe and Executive Director Rachel Bodi, is a nonprofit professional ballet company dedicated to celebrating local talent in the St. Louis community. Our mission is to emphasize literacy through the arts via our main stage performances as well as our educational programming. "We aspire to provide encouragement and partnership with local organizations and to be a bridge for the arts in St. Louis." Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Ballet 314 is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status prohibited by applicable law. Ballet 314 is dedicated to creating a positive and supportive environment of collaboration and respect to all of our performers, leadership, and guests. The Company is committed to actively amplifying diversity in our leadership, performers, and our audiences to challenge the view of “what ballet looks like” and to showcase that “excellence comes in all shades.” Ballet 314 recognizes the insensitive, and oftentimes exclusionary culture that the title “ballet” can perpetuate, and is actively working to dismantle the toxic aspects of the craft. By fostering a space which respects our dancers’ mental and physical health, we are able to encourage our dancers to take agency and autonomy over their careers. Thank you for supporting local talent! Program Collaborators Partners Official provider of physical therapy for Ballet 314. Contributor of mental health and nutrition therapy for Ballet 314's Dancer Wellness Initiative. Contributor of Ballet 314's Dancer Wellness Initiative. Host Studios '25-'26 Supporters Ballet 314 also deeply appreciates the following individuals and foundations for their generosity and investment in our company's innovative pursuits. GEMS (Gives-Every Month) Francis & Monica Buckley Ken & Amy Heuman Lisa Hinrichs Bernie & Alice Klisavage Lynnette Khoo-Summers Sarah Mayer Megan Rancour Joel Thomas* *Our longest supporting monthly donor! ASSEMBLÉ DONORS $1,500-2,499 Lynnette Khoo-Summers GRAND JETÉ SPONSORS $5,000+ Miracle Makers Foundation Phoenix Foundation Christmas Valley Foundation Anonymous CHANGEMENT DONORS $500-1,499 Melanie Harvey Dissen Family Joan Jennewein Jim and Sheila Musca Thad Simons Mary Strauss Mr. and Mrs. Tegtmeier Laura Farkas TOUR JETÉ DONORS $2,500-4,999 Valori Bring Schmidt & Barton Family Fund SAUTÉ DONORS $250-499 Julie Fultz Michele Kloeppel RELEVÉ DONORS $100-249 Anonymous Cindy Ballance Kim Berry Denise Cange Toni Colombe Leah Cordiano-Siemens Jon T. Deuchler Elena Dissen Maureen Dugan Melissa Forck Carlos R. Gómez Lorraine Glass-Harris Rachel Hinrichs Roger Johnson RELEVÉ DONORS $100-249 Chele Kirsch David Low Doris Lugo Sarah Mayer Elizabeth Moray Johanna Recart-Schroeder LaVerne Riebold Sarah Ruddy Sabrina Scales Robert Sawyer Roselli M. Schmitt Judy Schultz Cynthia Thomas Jacob Yakopovich Financial Reports Ballet 314 is a non-profit organization created in the state of Missouri in 2019. EIN Tax ID # 83-3310999 See our most recent financial reports below: Annual Tax Returns 2024 Form 990 Annual Reports 2024 Annual Report

Ballet 314 is a nonprofit professional ballet company in St. Louis, MO. Directed by Rachel Bodi and Robert Poe. Rachel Colombe 4th season with Ballet 314 Rachel Colombe is a graduate of Webster University, earning her BFA in Dance with a Ballet Emphasis. In 2016, she attended ArcDanz in Puebla, Mexico and performed works by local artists Karen de Luna and Angel Arambula, as well as Andrea Weber from the Merce Cunningham Trust. Following graduation she worked as a freelance dancer, utilizing the flexible schedule to focus on choreographic and educational development in the St. Louis area. She assisted in the production of Leverage Dance Theater’s film Wear Me Out (2020), which received the Kramer Award from the Pittsburgh Fashion Week. With Ballet314, she has performed roles such as Clara in The Nutcracker and the World’s Fair, Leah in Ragtime: The American Experience, as well as performances at Saint Louis Art Museum Underground and theaters across the region. As an educator, her focus on core technique and challenging choreography has earned special awards in the competitive dance circuit. Return

Abigail Kresno 2nd season with Ballet 314 Abigail Kresno started dancing at the age of five, at DanceQuest in Plainfield, Illinois. Throughout her time at DanceQuest she performed with the Moscow Ballet dancing in their nutcracker. She also had the opportunity to work with River North at their summer intensive when she was 13. At the age of 15 Abigail left Dancequest to dance at Your Performing Arts Center in Yorkville. There she competed at various competitions, including YAGP. She also went to the Life 360 Dance Convention where she was awarded a scholarship summer intensive at Inaside dance, In Chicago. Abigail also started Teaching dance and gymnastics at the age of 15. She has taught everything from Ballet to Jazz to hip hop. While she was in high school, Abigail was on the poms team at Plainfield South High school. She was on Junior Varsity her freshman year, and then Varsity for her remaining years in High school. Her senior year she was the captain of her team. After Abigail graduated High school, she attended Northern Illinois University. There she had the chance to work with Joel Hall Dancer, Deeply Rooted, Big Muddy Dance, and Dance Works Chicago. She has just recently graduated with her BFA in Dance. Abigail has been teaching at since she was 15 years old. She is versatile is various dance techniques including: Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, modern, and contemporary. Most Recently Abigail was a trainee with St. Louis Dance Theatre, formerly Big Muddy. Return