Ballet

There will be a new ballerina wearing Clara’s crown in Media City Ballet’s production of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.” After three years, Amara Baptist has passed the crown of the ballet’s lead role to Mira Nastassja for this year’s performances Dec. 6 and 7 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Baptist moves into three new roles this year, Chinese dancer, Columbina and Icicle, said Natasha Middleton, company artistic director and choreographer.

The “Nutcracker Ballet” is a holiday tradition and for many it is the first time they experience the ballet. It is with this in mind that the Media City Ballet’s founder and artist director Natasha Middleton casts and choreographs her production. “We are in a different day and age,” Middleton said. “Ballet needs to change [with the times].” Her company will perform “The Nutcracker” Dec. 6-7 at Glendale’s Alex Theatre.

Clara’s Holiday Tea Party drew 120 people Sunday to Descanso Gardens for an afternoon meal and an up-close introduction to professional ballet dancers. Media City Ballet hosted the event to give parents and children a preview of characters that will perform in “The Nutcracker” ballet on Dec. 6 and 7 at the Alex Theatre, artistic director Natasha Middleton said. “A lot of times kids will come to the show and they’ll see, but they won’t really understand,” said Middleton, explaining that she first held the event five years ago and found that increased familiarity with the dancers and the roles they played created more excitement about the ballet.

Media City Ballet saluted Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian with an emotional performance Saturday night at the Alex Theatre. Jealousy and fear were wrapped into selections from ?Masquerade,? choreographed by the company?s artistic director, Natasha Middleton. The tale is about a prince who throws an elaborate party and is given a stolen bracelet by a masked guest. The bracelet belongs to the main character, Nina, and when the prince shows her husband the bracelet, he becomes suspicious of a liaison.

Media City Ballet will honor Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian in triplicate when it returns to the Alex Theatre on Saturday night. The company’s artistic director, Natasha Middleton, decided to perform “An Evening of Khachaturian: The Composer and His Ballets” in part because of the Armenian culture in Glendale. “I wanted to do this particular Armenian composer because his music is gorgeous,” Middleton said. The performance includes the Khachaturian compositions “Gayaneh,” “Spartacus” and “Masquerade.

Friday Flix ?Bee Movie? will play from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Glendale Public Library Children?s Room, 222 E. Harvard St., Glendale. The movie is rated PG. For more information, call (818) 548-2035 or visit www.glendalepublic library.org. ? A dance recital by students of The Burbank School of the Ballet and the Burbank Youth Ballet Company from 6:30 to 8 p.m. will be at Glendale Community College, 1500 N Verdugo Road, Glendale. The director is Lisa Sutton. The performance includes ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap and modern dance styles.

Send DATEBOOK items to Glendale News-Press, 221 N. Brand Blvd., 2nd Floor, Glendale, CA 91203 or fax to (818) 241-1975. Submissions must be received two weeks before publication. ? Philippine Cultural Night will feature Kultura Philippine Folk Arts and a traditional buffet beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Summerville at Casa Glendale, 426 Piedmont Ave., Glendale. For reservations or more information, call (818) 246-7457. ? Brand Library Art Galleries presents the exhibition ?