Susan Jaffe presents: casting for ABT ‘The Nutcracker’ two-week run opening at Segerstrom tonight

Dance
Appointed to her post as artistic director of American Ballet Theatre over a year ago, Susan Jaffe is very much in the drivers’ seat. A transition ensued following the 30-year tenure of Kevin McKenzie with whom she danced in the course of her 22 years as among the company’s most sparkling principal dancers. Seguing into ...

Warmth, beauty, diversity: ABT’s ‘The Nutcracker’ at Segerstrom Center 1

Dance · Music
From Act I of Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker. Photo: Rosalie O’Connor. The world has started to feel at tad more normal, right? One key way that is so important for us all, but especially for our children is the return to the theater. Yes, the careful among us still wear face masks — totally fine. ...

The joy of ‘Nutcracker’ puppetry, courtesy of Bob Baker Marionettes

Dance · Theater
Where puppet-theater is concerned, the “fun for kids of all ages” slogan is almost a cliche. And yet, it really applies. I am enchanted by the stringed shenanigans that are standard fare at Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Cuz, you get two shows in one, right? You get to watch the cleverly coiffed-and-garbed herky-jerky puppets … ...

Love is Love: Pride Night at ABT ‘Nutcracker’ December 15

Dance
In the video above, Hee Seo, rehearses for opening night of American Ballet Theatre‘s “The Nutcracker”Friday night at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The video displays what an exquisite ballerina she is. There is no doubt that every night at the ballet is a pride night for gay men and women. That’s indicated by the ...

Misty Copeland, de maximus, in ‘The Nutcracker’

Dance
In anticipation of Copeland’s appearance in the soon-opening Disney feature film “The Nutcracker and The Four Realms,” let’s take a gander at this state-of-the-art ballerina, filmed in 2014, in the grand pas of “The Nutcracker.” One hopes that in the movie, Disney has captured her courage, physical exuberance and athleticism, and her musicality. Video gets ...

Yes, ABT, we like sugar plums. But also ‘Nutcracker’ cookies!

Dance
Where cookies are concerned, we discreetly morph from ‘fussy critic’ to the more relaxed mode of ‘indiscriminate gobbler.’ Gosh, these ballet-themed cookies (photos mixed with those of our favorite ABT dancers) make our mouths water. They are the charming creation of Blackmarket Bakery whose award-winning chef Rachel Klemek celebrates American Ballet Theatre’s production of “The ...

Pick your Sugar Plum Fairy NOW!

Dance · Music
Hey, you Sugar Plums and Snowflakes! Stop dancing in our heads, and start whirling ’round the Segerstrom Hall stage. This will occur sooner than you can shake a candy cane. In a real first, Segerstrom Center of the Arts is presenting a big-city-style, lengthy run of American Ballet Theatre’s “The Nutcracker” at the esteemed Orange ...

An easy nut to crack: City Ballet of Los Angeles in “The Nutcracker Swings”

Dance
City Ballet of Los Angeles (CBLA) continues its mission to reflect the diversity of its city and bring classical ballet to new audiences with its winter program, The Nutcracker Swings, a twist on the holiday favorite set in 1942 Los Angeles during World War II. The Nutcracker Swings is CBLA’s tribute to the classic tale ...

If it’s August, it’s NYCB Nutcracker time in Los Angeles 2

Dance
This fascinating poster — click on it for detail — dating near to 1954 when Balanchine first staged the Nutcracker [Maria Tallchief as Sugar Plum Fairy, Tanaquil LeClercq as Dewdrop] — comes from the collection of Edith Brozak McMann, a former New York City Ballet dancer. It may interest Los Angeles dance fans of a ...

Sugarplum heart attack

Dance · Music
arts•meme thanks Lou Beach Like Pytor Illych? I love him. Read more: Ken Russell & Dr. Kildare tackle Tchaikovsky