Best Bets December 2007

Dancing Queen (City)

There's no better way to ring in the New Year than to dust off the powder-blue leisure suit, channel Tony Manero, and dance the night away to tunes by ABBA, the Bee Gees, and Donna. The Ballantyne Resort and Spa becomes Studio B to usher in 2008 in style, er, retro style with an evening of sounds reminiscent of the legendary Studio 54. New York DJ Chris "Rolling Thunder" Pangalos will be manning the booth, and the "B" also features overnight packages should your dancing feet need some rest after the ball has dropped. See listing on page 62 for more details. December 31, Ballantyne Resort

Holiday Five

How do you update the old-school style of a capella? Throw in a beatboxer and update the music, and you've segued from barbershop quartet to Rockapella. They've got the perfect pitch, perfect harmony, and mouth-made percussion that has landed them on talk shows, TV commercials, and the award-winning PBS program Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? The group brings holiday cheer to town in A Rockapella Holiday, performing classics such as "White Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." See listing on page 54 for more details. December 12-13, McGlohon Theatre

Road Runners

There were more than 4,200 runners in the 2006 event, so this year's Thunder Road Marathon, which also includes a half marathon and a 5K race, is sure to attract all of Charlotte's pavement pounders and then some. The 26.2-mile course is a running tour through the city's picturesque neighborhoods, beginning in uptown, moving through Myers Park and Foxcroft and back through South End, crossing into NoDa and Plaza Midwood before returning to uptown for the big finish. And yes, the marathon means something. It's an official qualifier for the prestigious Boston Marathon, which occurs each April. See listing on page 62 for more details. December 8, throughout Charlotte

A Lot Like Christmas

Watching a performance of the Nutcracker in December could be considered as necessary as roasting chestnuts, sipping hot cocoa, and attending a candlelight church service. If you've previously delighted in this holiday mainstay, continue the tradition as the North Carolina Dance Theatre presents its annual performance of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux's Nutcracker, featuring more than 100 dancers, including children from the North Carolina Dance Theatre's School of Dance. And if the Land of Snow and Land of Sweets sound foreign and intriguing, begin a new tradition. See listing on page 53 for more details. December 14-23, Belk Theater