Inland Pacific Ballet Presents THE NUTCRACKER, 11/29-12/27

Southern California's premiere professional ballet company, Inland Pacific Ballet, opens its 20th season with its spectacular production of The Nutcracker, the classic holiday story danced to Tchaikovsky's beloved score. The critically acclaimed Inland Pacific Ballet brings The Nutcracker to life with dazzling sets, beautiful costumes, and nearly 100 dancers on stage. IPB's traditional production of The Nutcracker will have 13 performances in four theaters fromNovember 29 through December 27, 2014: Arcadia Performing Arts Center, November 29/30; Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga, December 6/7; Pomona College's Bridges Auditorium, December 13/14/20/21; and new this year, IPB expands its reach into Riverside performing The Nutcracker at the Fox Performing Arts Center, December 27.

The annual holiday favorite tells the story of a young girl named Clara who receives a magical nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve, and sets out on a wondrous journey to the Land of the Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets. A fantastic dream with battling mice, dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers, and the delightful Sugar Plum Fairy stir the imagination. Meet the cast after the performance for photos and autographs. A dazzling holiday tradition for the entire family, see it again or for the first time and be swept away in a winter wonderland.

"We are thrilled to expand our touring this season to four theaters including the beautifully restored Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside," states Artistic Director Victoria Koenig. "While the core elements of The Nutcracker story remain the same, the show is always evolving and changing. This keeps it fresh for the audience, the dancers and all of us involved with the show - from Directors and Ballet Mistresses to Costume Designers. There is a great energy around the work this year. It's very inspiring."

This year the cast features brilliant young talent from the region, most notably the two Claras, who at 14 and 15 years old are sure to wow this season's audiences. The dancing for Clara has been enhanced and her character is now woven throughout the story, so for audiences already familiar with the show there is some new choreography to watch. IPB is also delighted to have Cameron Schwanz dancing the roles of Cavalier and Nutcracker Prince. Cameron is a thrilling dancer who was the Beast in last year's premiere of Beauty and the Beast production and a wonderful new addition to the Company.

Inland Pacific Ballet, now in its 20th season, is a professional ballet company of national stature in the Inland Empire of Southern California. The Company is committed to producing exquisitely staged productions of full-length classic story ballets as well as presenting the best in contemporary choreography. Their large studio facility in Montclair also includes in-house costume and scenic departments. In addition, through creative marketing and an extensive Educational Outreach Program, Inland Pacific Ballet strives to introduce new audiences to the magic of ballet, and to make the experience more available and accessible to all. For students pre-school through grade 12 enrolled in public, private and home schools, IPB offers "A Young Person's Guide to the Ballet," connecting the arts to learning through music and movement with four educational morning performances of The Nutcracker. The Company is also committed to the nurturing of new talent and provides an essential training ground for serious young dancers.

Inland Pacific Ballet's Founders/Artistic Directors Victoria Koenig and Kevin Myers (Riverside), are southern California natives and bring a wealth of experience to their visionary leadership of this young Company. Over the past 20 years they have built Inland Pacific Ballet into the premiere ballet company and a key creative force in the region, enjoying critical acclaim while performing the largest and most varied repertoire in the area. The Company's repertoire includes such classics as A Midsummer Night's Dream, Les Sylphides, Graduation Ball and Swan Lake Act II. Full length classical masterpieces include Giselle, Coppélia and a lavish production of The Nutcracker. Contemporary classics include seminal works by the legendary George Balanchine including Serenade, Concerto Barocco and Who Cares? and a growing body of original work that includes creative adaptations of much loved stories such as The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast andDracula.

A non-profit organization, Inland Pacific Ballet's programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts - Art Works, The Ahmanson Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission the Claremont Community Foundation, US Bank, The Haskell Fund, Target and Hank and Jean Voznick.

Photo Credit: Copyright © 2013 E.Y. Yanagi

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