La Mirada Welcomes MOSCOW BALLET'S GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER!

The Moscow Ballet is set to perform its GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER for the second year in a row this holiday season at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts for just Two Performances Only on December 18, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The World-renowned Moscow Ballet is celebrating its 19th annual tour of the GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER by performing in over 50 cities across the U.S. and Canada.

ABOUT THE GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER

Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker tells the beloved Christmas story of the girl who falls in love with a Nutcracker Prince - with Russian flair. Praised by the NY Times as "thrilling and expansive," the 40 impeccably trained Russian dancers leap, spin and lunge bringing the traditional story to life. The Act I Christmas party enchants with its magical toys, evil Mouse King and a journey through the glittering Snow Forest. Unique to the Great Russian Nutcracker, Russian folk characters Father Christmas and the Snow Maiden escort Masha (aka Clara) to the Land of Peace and Harmony in Act II where she and the Nutcracker Prince are honored by emissaries from heritages the world over; African, Russian, Asian, European and Hispanic. Set to Pytor Tchaikovsky's famous score, Moscow Ballet's production features lavish costumes, nine hand-painted backdrops with 3-D ornamentation and fanciful, larger-than-life puppets designed by Russian puppet master Valentin Federov. A must see show for everyone in the family this holiday season!

ABOUT THE CAST AND DESIGN TEAM

ANDRE LITVINOV (Ballet Master) graduated from the Academy of Music-Theater and Fine Arts in 2003 and became Moscow Ballet's Ballet Master in 2004 while continuing to dance leading roles. He is a Laureate of the International Ballet Competition (IBC) in Romania, 1996; Yuri Grigorovich IBC in 2000; Danovsky IBC; and the Diagelev Prize. He is an Honored Artist of the Moldova Republic and has toured the U.S., Germany, Italy, Greece, England, Spain, and Egypt. Litvinov, who was born just outside of Moscow, was 1 of 3 children selected out of 360 that auditioned to attend the preeminent Bolshoi Academic Choreographic College, known informally as the "Bolshoi School," in Moscow. He graduated in 1982 after five years of study, went on to the Chisinau Choreographic College and was immediately asked to join the company. Called to military duty as an anti-aircraft gunner and tanker, he returned to dance after a year of military service, dancing the archetypal Soviet Prince in leading roles in the classics including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Spartacus, and more. He danced with lead ballerinas of the day, such as Lyudmila Semenyaka, Nina Semizorova, Alyona Zaitseva, Nadya Cotets, and Maria Polydova, and was the lead danseur in the premiere of Yuri Grigorovich's Nutcracker and Carmen Suite as well as Carmen choreographed by internationally acclaimed Moldovan Radu Poklitaru. In 2011, Moscow Ballet premieres the all new production of Romeo and Juliet, set to Prokofiev's renowned score and choreographed by Litvinov. At ease in the modern world of fellow Moldovan Radu Poklitaru and the ballet classicists, Litvinov's work will be classical but with strong new contemporary elements.

ALEXANDRA ELAGINA (Masha) makes her debut in the western U.S. and Canada as Masha (aka Clara) in Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker, performing in over 30 cities on the West Tour. She will also debut Moscow Ballet's role of Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, with partner Anatolie Ustimov. She made her U.S. debut in the 2010 East Tour of the Great Russian Nutcracker to critical acclaim. Elagina hails from Kazan, the "third capital of Russia." She graduated from the Kazan Ballet Academy in 2006. Immediately after graduation she was invited as soloist to Tatar's Jalil State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet which is home to one of the best troupes dancing in Russia today. Elagina's roles and repertory include Fairy in Sleeping Beauty; Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Masha in the Nutcracker; trio from La Corsaire; pas de trois and Little Swan in Swan Lake; Nikia in La Bayadere; Phrygia in Spartacus; Solveig in Peer Gynt; and others. Elagina has toured Europe and the U.S.

ANATOLIE USTIMOV (Prince) is a Laureate of the 2009 International Ballet Competitions (IBC) Moscow and hails from Chisinau, Moldova. At just 27 years old, Ustimov is the archetypal male Russian dancer. He was praised by the U.S. press for his premiere performance as the Nutcracker Prince in 2010. He will premiere as Romeo in Moscow Ballet's all new Romeo & Juliet in 2011. Ustimov graduated with honors from the State Academic Choreographic School of Moldova in 2001, and has been a principal artist with the State Theater of Opera and Ballet of Moldova since 2000. The company's artistic director says, "In our company we have several promising youngsters like Cristina and Alexei Terentiev, and Anatolie Ustimov." His repertoire includes significant principal roles such as Siegfried in Swan Lake, Romeo in Romeo & Juliet, the Bluebird pas de deux in Sleeping Beauty, Albrecht in Giselle, and more.

VALENTIN FEDOROV (Scenic Designer & Puppet Maker) is a graduate of the Stanislavski Institute. Known as "the Russian Bear" to his colleagues, he is a prodigy of Valery Leventhal of the Bolshoi Ballet, known for his diverse and often wonderfully comical sets. Based in Chuvash, central Russia, he received the title "Honored Artist of Chuvashia" and in 1991, his "Blackberry Along the Fence" won at the Best Performances of Russia Festival. Federov has been art director at the Chuvashia State Theatre of Opera and Ballet since 1988, where he has designed more than 40 productions for opera and ballet to critical acclaim. Chuvash, a mostly rural province in the middle of the country has a centuries-old history of puppetry. Federov's fanciful sets and unique 6-foot tall "stick" puppets add to the whimsical and imaginative storytelling that sets Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker apart from others.

ABOUT MOSCOW BALLET

MOSCOW BALLET is known for its annual, touring Great Russian Nutcracker and full-length productions of the classic story-ballets; Swan Lake, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and most recently Romeo and Juliet. Created by award-winning Juilliard alumnus, composer/conductor and theatrical producer, Akiva Talmi, the organization evolved out of Talmi's all-star "Glasnost Festival Tour" (1986-92). Moscow Ballet made its debut in 1993, with an all-star Russian cast presenting the Great Russian Nutcracker, directed and choreographed by Stanislav Vlasov of the famous Russian Bolshoi Theatre. In 1994, Moscow Ballet invited the Moscow State Theatre of Natalia Sats and the theatre's full orchestra to expand the company to an 88-artist tour. In 2003, Moscow Ballet announced the appointment of Anatoliy Emelianov (winner of the Diagelev award) and Vladimir Troshchenko (director of Odessa State Ballet) as artistic directors, adding Andre Litvinov (director of Moldova State Ballet) in 2008. The Moscow Ballet touring company continues to feature top graduates of Perm , Vaganova, Moscow State Academic Choreographic and Kiev schools. Now in its 19th's annual tour of North America, The Moscow Ballet will be traveling to over 50 cities in 2011.

ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING

GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER will perform again this holiday season at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts - Two Performances Only on December 18, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Ticket prices for MOSCOW BALLET'S GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER are $25 - $85. Children 12 and under save 25%. VIP Ticket packages are available for $150. Tickets to this LIMITED ENGAGEMENT are now available by calling the Box Office at 562-944-9801 or 714-994-6310 or online at www.lamiradatheatre.com.

For a truly special holiday experience, La Mirada Theatre introduces its VIP ticket package for the Great Russian Nutcracker. The VIP package includes preferred parking, the best, centered seat, special Moscow Ballet souvenir holiday gifts and a VIP Discount Card, which is good for discounts at the Moscow Ballet online store - www.nutcracker.com.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada, Parking is free.

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