Ballet Ariel is offering Colorado audiences not one but two festive reasons to embrace the holiday season this year. From Dec. 12-28, the Denver-based company will present a double bill of Little Women and The Nutcracker Suite performed at the Lakewood Cultural Center and the Parsons Theatre in Northglenn, with live music accompanied by Gossamer Winds.

It’s an ambitious pairing that reflects Ballet Ariel’s mission: to create original classical ballets that honor beloved stories while offering something audiences can’t see anywhere else. For Artistic and Executive Director Ilena Norton, debuting Little Women has been a long-held dream.

“Little Women is one of my favorite stories from childhood,” she says. “It’s sort of a classic American story for girls. It’s got some Christmas themes in it, and it’s all about sisterhood and helping others, which are a lot of values that reflect the Christmas season.”