Nutcracker

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.

Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” is returning to the Alex Theatre, but this year, theatergoers can see three productions of the classic holiday ballet. Dancers from Burbank’s Media City Ballet, The Red Chair Children’s Production Co. and the Los Angeles Ballet are rehearsing their own versions of the famous ballet. About 60 dancers from the Los Angeles Ballet will perform their full-length production on Nov. 29 and 30. “We are constantly making little changes and modifications in the ballet,” said Thordal Christensen, co-artistic director of Los Angeles Ballet.

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.

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.

Some families make it their holiday tradition to bake cookies together. Others have eggnog and sing carols while decorating the tree. But the Harris family of Burbank prefers dancing in "The Nutcracker" ballet with the Red Chair Production Company. Michele and Dan Harris and their daughters, Haylee,13, and Lena, 10, have been participating in the annual holiday classic since the company began performing the show five years ago. This year, Mother and Father will be dignitaries in the party scene, and daughter Haylee will be portraying the maid.

Joyce Rudolph When selecting dancers for lead roles, Jill Sanzo looks for a strong acting ability during auditions. "We look for a certain childlike quality of enthrallment, wonderment, which sometimes is hard to find with children these days. They grow up too fast," she said. Two young dancers, Alyssa Cuervo of La Canada Flintridge and Arielle Poblador of Los Angeles, displayed that quality, and they share the role of Clara for this year's Ballet of the Foothills production of "The Nutcracker" this weekend at The Alex Theatre.

Joyce Rudolph It was unanimous. All 12 members of Brownie Troop 178 of the Rancho Calabasas Service Unit enjoyed the debut matinee performance of Burbank Media City Ballet Company on Sunday at The Alex Theatre in Glendale. Alexandra Bruder, 7, could relate to the "Joys of the Season" performance because in addition to her activities like karate, basketball and soccer, she also takes ballet lessons, the first-grader said. "I love watching them dance.

balletBallerina's first starring role will be as Clara in Media City Ballet's `The Nutcracker.' With a radiant smile and chocolate eyes, Amara Baptist captures all the wonderment of Clara in the ballet "The Nutcracker." Dressed in a lilac leotard, black tights and pointe shoes, she gracefully spins around her beloved godfather Herr Drosselmeyer, played by John Mackey, while pretending to hold her treasure. It's the final weeks of rehearsal as the Media City Ballet readies its annual production of Tchaikovsky's musical fairy tale, in its fourth year at The Alex Theatre in Glendale.

Gary Moskowitz To a young, aspiring ballet dancer in her early teens, the chance to be an angel, mouse, snowflake or Spanish Russian in a live performance with the Moscow Ballet is a big deal. The 30 girls who auditioned Sunday and were selected by a member of the Moscow Ballet will get their chance in November, when they perform The Great Russian Nutcracker with professional Russian dancers at performances in Long Beach. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, 8 and 9 with a 2:30 p.m. performance Nov. 9 at the Long Beach Terrace Theater at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Media City Ballet Company celebrated the close of its fifth season following the performance of "The Nutcracker" on Dec. 10 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Cutting a birthday cake baked to mark the occasion were company principals, including artistic director Natasha Middleton- Kettebekov ; her husband and "The Nutcracker" choreographer and director Askar Kettebekov ; her father Andrei Tremaine , formerly a principal dancer with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo; Ruben Tonoyan , associate director, ballet master and dance coach; Cindy Pease , president of the board of directors; and her husband, Tom Pease , who directed his choir, the Taft High School Vocal Ensemble, during the performance.