Los Angeles Ballet's THE NUTCRACKER Begins Performances, 12/9

Los Angeles Ballet (www.losangelesballet.org), the city's own and only professional classical ballet company, brings back the holiday favorite The Nutcracker at LAB's home theatres: UCLA's Royce Hall, Glendale's Alex Theatre, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center and the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The performances at the Dolby Theatre will include a live orchestra.

Now in its second decade, Los Angeles Ballet continues to present world-class performances and provide diverse outreach opportunities throughout Southern California. At a time when the arts are underfunded and continue to be absent from public school curricula, it is Los Angeles Ballet's mission to share the gift of dance with the broadest possible audience and give back to the community that has so generously supported it. Los Angeles Ballet opens its doors with free classes for all ages with A Chance to Dance and provides thousands of free tickets with Power of Performance (POP!), to special needs children and adults, military families, veterans and seniors through collaboration with 56 community partners. To date, LAB has provided 166,000 free tickets to POP! participants.

About Los Angeles Ballet - Founded in 2004 by Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, and Executive Director Julie Whittaker, Los Angeles Ballet is known for its superb stagings of the Balanchine repertory, stylistically meticulous classical ballets, and its commitment to new works. LAB has become recognized as a world-class ballet company in twelve seasons, presenting 38 productions encompassing 56 works, including 16 commissioned world premieres. Los Angeles Ballet 'tours' throughout LA County, regularly appearing at four venues. Since its inception in 2006, LAB's Power of Performance (POP!) program has provided thousands of free tickets to underserved or disadvantaged children, seniors, veterans, and their families. LAB's A Chance to Dance Community Days outreach program was launched in October 2012.

About Thordal Christensen - Among Thordal Christensen's many credentials are an impressive performing career, successful leadership of one of the world's major ballet companies, critically applauded original choreography, and a proven commitment to dance education. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Christensen received his ballet training at The Royal Danish Ballet School and at the School of American Ballet in New York City before a performance career that included the Royal Danish Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Christensen then returned to Denmark where he was Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet. This blend of Bournonville and Balanchine tradition is one of the defining themes of his career, and has shaped the unique artistic vision that Christensen, along with his wife Colleen Neary, bring to Los Angeles Ballet. In 2002, he was made Knight of the Dannebrog by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

About Colleen Neary - Colleen Neary brings to Los Angeles Ballet the benefits of her vast experience as one of George Balanchine's quintessential ballerinas. In her experience as a dancer, teacher, and ballet mistress, she also worked closely with other luminaries of 20th century dance, including Rudolf Nureyev, Maurice Béjart, and Ji?í Kylián. Born in Miami, Florida and trained at The School of American Ballet, Neary danced in New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine, then for Maurice Béjart's Ballet du XXième Siecle, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Neary was personally selected by Balanchine to teach his choreography to major companies all over the world as a répétiteur for The George Balanchine Trust.

The Nutcracker

Alex Theatre

Saturday, December 9 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, December 10 at 2:00 pm

Royce Hall

Friday, December 15 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, December 16 at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm

Sunday, December 17 at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm

Dolby Theatre

Saturday, December 23 at 1:00 pm and 5:00pm

Sunday, December 24 at 11:00 am and 3:00 pm

Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center

Friday, December 29 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, December 30 at 1:00 pm and 5:00pm

Sunday, December 31 at 1:00 pm

Tickets: $31.00 - $99.00, students, children, seniors, and military 20% discount

Dolby Theatre w/Live Orchestra Tickets: $41.00 - $119.00 (discounts apply)

Single Tickets and Regularly-Priced Subscriptions on sale now
Box Office Phone: 310-998-7782; Website http://www.losangelesballet.org