Visions of Sugar Plum Fairies and Nutcracker Princes

Festival Ballet Theatre presents The Nutcracker for the holidays

09.16.2009 – Celebrate the season with visions of the Sugar Plum Fairy, our heroine Clara and her dashing prince, while Festival Ballet's cast of over one hundred dancers celebrates the beauty, pageantry and tradition of the holidays with its lavish professional production of The Nutcracker at Irvine Barclay Theatre.

This Yuletide tradition features internationally acclaimed guest artists from American Ballet Theatre. Family-friendly and affordable, there are 13 scheduled performances beginning Friday, December 11 at 7 p.m. and closing with an 11 a.m. showing on Wednesday, December 24.

The full-length traditional production, choreographed and directed by Festival Ballet Theatre’s Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla, honors the international themes and fantasy aspects of the popular story ballet that features a cast of more than 180 Southern California children and professional dancers.

Special guest artists from American Ballet Theatre include the returning superstar team of Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky (Dec. 11-13 matinee), and, new this year, the renown Paloma Herrera partnered by Gennadi Saveliev (Dec. 19 & 20)

The performance schedule:

Friday, Dec. 11 at 7pm*(Dvorovenko/Beloserkovsky, (*20-20-20)
Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2 & 7pm(Dvorovenko/Beloserkovsky)
Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1pm(Dvorovenko/Beloserkovsky)
Sunday, Dec. 13 at 6pm**(Family Night 4-Pack Performance)
Friday, Dec. 18 at 7pm
Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2 & 7p (Herrera/Saveliev)
Sunday, Dec. 20 at 1 & 6pm (Herrera/Saveliev)
Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 6pm
Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 2 pm
Thursday, Dec. 24 at 11am

Irvine Barclay Theatre - 4242 Campus Drive in Irvine
Tickets: $38 for adults; $35 for seniors, and $33 for children
949-854-4646/ www.thebarclay.org| www.ticketmaster.com

* 20-20-20 performance celebrating the Barclay’s 20th Anniversary Season: $20 (Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.)
** Family Night 4-pack of tickets is $100 (Dec 13 at 6 p.m.)

SYNOPSIS

The Nutcracker is the story of a young lady, Clara, who receives the gift of an enchanting wooden nutcracker soldier from her mysterious godfather, Dr. Drosselmeyer. During the night, magical events unfold – the Christmas tree grows taller, toy soldiers and little mice become larger, Clara’s beloved toy comes to life and battles the ferocious Mouse King. Just as it seems all is lost, Clara distracts the evil Mouse King and saves her beloved Nutcracker Soldier. Her act of bravery transforms the Nutcracker into a handsome Prince. To show his gratitude, he takes Clara on a magical journey – complete with a storm of swirling snowflakes – to the Kingdom of Sweets. Upon their arrival, the Sugar Plum Fairy calls for a celebration in honor of Clara. One after another, delectable and exotic dancers from faraway lands pay tribute to our heroine. Set to the music of Peter Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker was first performed in St. Petersburg, Russian, on December 18, 1892.

A tradition for the entire family, Festival Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker is made even more magical with sets and costumes by Simon Pastukh and Galina Solovyeva, as well as lighting design and special effects by Brock Cilley.

FESTIVAL BALLET THEATRE

Under the direction of Salwa Rizkalla since its founding in 1988, Festival Ballet Theatre has become one of Southern California’s most vibrant and accomplished professional ballet companies. Celebrating more than 20 years of artistic service to Orange County, FBT is dedicated to presenting works that epitomize the artistry of professional ballet, offering cultural awareness of dance through educational programs, and nurturing a creative environment for some of our county’s most talented dancers.

Boasting a roster of impressive up-and-coming talent, the company’s productions also feature internationally acclaimed guest artists from prestigious companies such as American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, the Kirov Ballet, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and San Francisco Ballet.

Festival Ballet Theatre strives to enrich the experience of Orange County’s dance audience by highlighting the work of world-renowned guest and resident choreographers who have received critical acclaim for original ballets around the globe. With reverence for masterpieces of the past and a clear focus on developing future tour de forces, FBT presents a varied repertoire of full-length classical ballets including Coppélia, Don Quixote, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake; as well as contemporary works by some of the nation’s most sought-after choreographers. FBT was also the bid winner of Ballet Pacifica’s Assets Auction, purchasing the dissolved company’s name, sets, costumes and photography archive in order to preserve these treasures for both FBT and the Orange County dance community.

Aspiring to the heights of artistic excellence, Festival Ballet Theatre simultaneously attracts the best in professional dance to its home-base while sending its own dancers out as artistic ambassadors to the nation. FBT’s significant work has been recognized with a 2001 Arts Orange County Award for Outstanding Arts Organization of the Year.

ARTISTS

Salwa Rizkalla, Artistic Director
Ms. Rizkalla's artistic vision and community involvement led to the creation of Festival Ballet Theatre (FBT) and Southland Ballet Academy (SBA). Her credentials as a classical ballet dancer include an impressive list of leading roles in well-known classical ballets, as well as appearances in original contemporary pieces. During her distinguished career as a professional dancer, Rizkalla had the privilege of working under the direction of world-renowned choreographers Leonid Lavrovsky and Serge Lifar. Trained in the Russian Vaganova method, she has studied with the ballet masters of the Bolshoi and the Kirov.
Full bio: http://www.festivalballet.org/fbt/director.html

Irina Dvorovenko, Guest Artist
Dec. 11 at 7 pm, Dec. 12 at 2 pm & 7 pm, Dec. 13 at 1 pm
bio: http://irinamaxballet.com/IrinaDvorovenko.aspx

Maxim Beloserkovsky, Guest Artist
Dec. 11 at 7 pm, Dec. 12 at 2 pm & 7 pm, Dec. 13 at 1 pm
bio: http://irinamaxballet.com/MaximBeloserkovsky.aspx

Paloma Herrera, Guest Artist
Dec. 19 at 2 pm & 7 pm, Dec. 20 at 1 pm & 6 pm
bio: http://www.palomaherrera.com/en/biografia.html

Gennadi Saveliev, Guest Artist
Dec. 19 at 2 pm & 7 pm, Dec. 20 at 1 pm & 6 pm
bio: http://www.abt.org/dancers/detail.asp?Dancer_ID=45

Comments

Nancy Melucci says:: When do the tickets for the Nutcracker FBT go on sale? Nancy Melucci

Karen Drews says:: Tickets are on sale now -- in fact, opening night is already sold out. Go to: http://www.thebarclay.org/custom/events/event10.asp?eventID=1293

Dodie Nelson says:: How long does the Ballet last? From 6 to 10PM? Children (11 years old) might get tired, or it might be too late for going out for desert after the performance?

Karen Drews says:: The ballet has two 45 minute acts with an intermission in between acts. The entire event should be a bit less than two hours. Most school age children do not have a problem sitting for 45 minutes at a time.

Ask a Question or Add Your Comment

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News Facts

The full-length traditional production, choreographed and directed by Festival Ballet Theatre’s Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla, honors the international themes and fantasy aspects of the popular story ballet that features a cast of more than 180 Southern California children and professional dancers.
Special guest artists from American Ballet Theatre include:
The returning superstar team of Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky (Dec. 11-13 matinee), and, new this year, the renown Paloma Herrera partnered by Gennadi Saveliev (Dec. 19 & 20)
Under the direction of Salwa Rizkalla since its founding in 1988, Festival Ballet Theatre has become one of Southern California’s most vibrant and accomplished professional ballet companies.
Festival Ballet Theatre strives to enrich the experience of Orange County’s dance audience by highlighting the work of world-renowned guest and resident choreographers who have received critical acclaim for original ballets around the globe.
FBT’s significant work has been recognized with a 2001 Arts Orange County Award for Outstanding Arts Organization of the Year.