SINGAPORE - The Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) will be cancelling its Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker, due to Covid-19 concerns.

It is the first time the company has had to cancel its year-end show, which would have been performed at the Esplanade Theatre from Dec 2 to 6.

It said in a statement: "SDT is committed to continue to create through this pandemic while prioritising the health and safety of its artists, staff and audiences.

"The company is immensely grateful to its generous donors and sponsors for their support through this turbulent time."

Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, in which a young girl's nutcracker doll comes alive and whisks her away to a magical kingdom of dancing sweets and fairies, is typically one of SDT's best-selling performances.

Like most arts companies, SDT was unable to perform for months during the pandemic. It returned to the stage on Sept 23 in From Here On, a selection of pas de deux performed at the Esplanade Theatre by six dancers, as part of the National Arts Council's pilot performance trials.

SDT patrons who purchased season passes for this year will have their passes extended over the entirety of next year's repertoire, the company said.