Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk makes surprise cameo in ‘The Nutcracker’ ballet

23 January 2026, 17:40

The legendary skateboarder dropped in on Tchaikovsky’s much-loved festive ballet.

San Diego ballet-goers were treated to an unexpected festive twist last month when skateboarding icon Tony Hawk made a surprise appearance in Golden State Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.

The cameo, at the San Diego Civic Theatre, saw ‘the Birdman’ glide across the stage on a specially built quarterpipe – in full costume.

“Sometimes you just have to say yes to things WAY outside your comfort zone,” Hawk later said on Instagram, saying that he’d done it after his theatre-loving daughter had encouraged him.

Golden State Ballet’s artistic director Raúl Salamanca told NBC San Diego that Hawk’s performance reflected “what makes San Diego special, a community where a skateboarding legend and a ballet company can come together to create something memorable.”

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Tony Hawk makes his opera debut on a skateboard

First performed in St Petersburg in 1892, The Nutcracker is one of Tchaikovsky’s most popular works and a mainstay of Christmas ballet programming around the world.

Based on ETA Hoffmann’s story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, it tells the tale of young Clara, whose enchanted Christmas gift whisks her into a dream world of dancing snowflakes, toy soldiers, and the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Classic FM could find no mention of skateboarders in the original story...

Golden State Ballet’s staging features Salamanca’s own choreography, sets and costumes and the San Diego Symphony performing Tchaikovsky’s score live. Since its founding in 2021, the company has gained a reputation for celebrating artistic diversity and community spirit while developing a strong training ground for emerging dancers.