Created by Christopher Wheeldon, the ballet will premiere in December 2016. It marks the conclusion of the traditional production of Robert Joffrey's Nutcracker, which has been performed in Chicago annually since 1995.

Wheeldon is directing and choreographing the Broadway premiere of An American in Paris, which will begin at the Palace Theatre March 13 prior to an official opening April 12.

Wheeldon has performed with the Royal Ballet Company and the New York City Ballet, and has choreographed for the NYCB. He previously choreographed the Broadway musical Sweet Smell of Success.

The 60th Anniversary season of the Joffrey Ballet will also feature three world premieres, the North American premiere of Sylvia by John Neumeier, the Joffrey premiere of Wheeldon's Fool's Paradise and the return of Frederick Ashton's Cinderella.

"During the season we will celebrate the evolution of the company and its many landmarks," Ashley Wheater, artistic director of The Joffrey Ballet, said in a statement. "We bring John Neumeier's Sylvia to the American audience for the first time. We introduce three world premiere works by some of today's most exciting choreographers. After twenty nine memorable years, we will retire Robert Joffrey's The Nutcracker. We celebrate its enduring legacy with one final series of performances in 2015, and look ahead to the 2016 premiere of Chris Wheeldon's magical new Nutcracker. In the spring, we revive Frederick Ashton's Cinderella, one of Robert Joffrey's favorite ballets, and a favorite of families around the world." All programs throughout the season feature live music performed by the Chicago Philharmonic conducted by Scott Speck, music director of The Joffrey Ballet.

Visit joffrey.org for more information.