THE NUTCRACKER Inland Pacific Ballet’s Spectacular Returns this Holiday Season

The holiday tradition families treasure with performances in Claremont December 13 & 14 and Riverside December 20 & 21

Inland Pacific Ballet, Southern California’s Premier Professional Ballet Company presents its annual spectacular production of The Nutcracker this holiday season with four performances at Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College in Claremont between December 13-14 and  three performances at Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside between December 20-21.

The Nutcracker comes to life in this magnificent ballet with beautiful sets, dazzling costumes handmade by Inland Pacific Ballet’s longtime wardrobe mistress Nina Hickey, Tchaikovsky’s classic score, and more than 80 dancers on stage. Toy soldiers, life-sized dancing dolls, falling snow, a fantastic dream with battling mice, dancing snowflakes, new Color Guard rifle twirling battle dancers, waltzing flowers, gingerbread characters, and the delightful Sugar Plum Fairy stir the imagination. A wonderful production for all.

IPB Academy

In addition to IPB’s Company of professional dancers and special guest artists, this highly diverse cast also includes many young dancers from the IPB Academy – a total of 62 youth between the ages of 6-18 who make up multiple casts at the two venues, where many are from local area communities.

Experience the magic of the holidays with family and friends at southern California’s most spectacular production of The Nutcracker from critically acclaimed Inland Pacific Ballet. This annual production 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.

“We are proud to present you with this year’s Nutcracker as it promises to be one of the most exciting yet, with dazzling new elements, breathtaking choreography, and performances that showcase the exceptional talent nurtured within the Inland Pacific Ballet Academy, the training ground for many accomplished dancers in the industry,” explains Zaylin Cano, Executive Director, Inland Pacific Ballet.

According to Cano, “Audiences will be inspired by the artistry of notable guest soloists joining Inland Pacific Ballet’s professional company, as well as the energy and joy of the Academy’s young dancers who share the stage. As the region’s premier ballet company, Inland Pacific Ballet continues its mission to bring world-class dance to local communities while providing meaningful opportunities for the next generation of artists to shine.”

Special guest artists

Inland Pacific Ballet is proud to announce special guest artists who will be performing in this year’s performances as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier:

For performances on December 13 and 14 at Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College in Claremont, Lori Hernández, a highly sought after and popular guest principal artist who has over 1.4 million followers on TikTok, will dance in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, along with City Ballet of San Diego company member Brien Heil in the role of Cavalier.

For performances on December 20 and 21 at Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, former IPB Academy student and now a New York City Ballet principal dancer, and the first Asian American female principal in NYCB’s 75-year history, Mira Nadon returns to IPB’s Nutcracker to dance in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, along with fellow NYCB principal dancer Peter Walker dancing in the role of Cavalier. This will be Nadon’s first appearance in the Inland Empire performing as the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Inland Pacific Ballet

Inland Pacific Ballet, founded in 1994 by Southern California natives Victoria Koenig and Kevin Frank Myers, quickly became one of Southern California’s cultural jewels. Its mission is to build and sustain a professional ballet company in the Inland Empire of Southern California, committed to producing exquisitely staged productions of full-length classic story ballets as well as presenting the best in contemporary choreography.

Koenig and Myers have built Inland Pacific Ballet into the premier ballet company 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 masterpieces by the legendary George Balanchine including Serenade, Concerto Barocco and Who Cares? and a growing body of original work which includes creative adaptations of much-loved stories such as The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Dracula, and Beauty and the Beast. In 2023 IPB began presenting musical theater combined with ballet beginning with the original work LilYpada, and in 2024 Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Musical.

The Company has been performing at Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College since 1995, and in 2010 began adding other southern California venues to its regular season including the Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga (2010), the Arcadia Performing Arts Center in Arcadia (2013), the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside (2014), and the Sophia B. Clarke Theater in Walnut (2019). Festival programs such as the Redlands Bowl Music Festival, Balletfest and Dance Kaleidoscope have also allowed the Company to reach an ever-expanding audience. Recent partnerships include a guest appearance with the San Bernardino Symphony in 2018.

Regional Touring

Regional touring has included the Luckman Fine Arts Complex in Los Angeles, the Kevin Frank Myers, in Thousand Oaks, the Annenberg Theater in Palm Desert, the Haugh Performing Arts Center in Glendora, the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. In 2009 the Company embarked on its first national tour, performing at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts in Amarillo, Texas.

More information

• Tickets and program information: IPBallet.org; Bridges Auditorium; Fox Performing Arts Center

• For additional information, please contact the theater box offices directly: BridgesAuditorium@pomona.edu or 909-607-1139; and riversidelive@livenation.com or 951-779-9800.

*Information courtesy Susan Gordon Public Relations.