Diablo Ballet's 30th Season To Open with THE NUTCRACKER SUITE

Diablo Ballet’s landmark 30th Season opens this November with a newly expanded full-length production of Julia Adam’s smash holiday hit, The Nutcracker Suite, performing November 3 – 4, 2023 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. This season marks Lauren Jonas’ 30 th year as Artistic Director, as well as Amanda Farris’ 10 th season of dancing with the company.

The Nutcracker Suite is set in the 1950’s, where the Diablo family and their daughter Clara check into the Nutcracker Suite at the Fairmont Hotel for a Christmas Eve adventure. Clara’s dream takes her on a magical journey through the land of sweets that will include students from Diablo Ballet School. Each year since the production’s premiere in 2019, Adam has expanded on her original concept, creating new characters and dances to add to her original ballet. Diablo Ballet dancer and costume creator Amanda Farris and company costumer Christopher Dunn will add additional costumes to support the extended production.

Amanda Farris joined Diablo Ballet in 2014 and has been an audience favorite ever since. She is also a member of the faculty at Diablo Ballet School, which launched in 2019, and creates many of the costumes for the Company. Farris remarked, “Looking back at my time with Diablo Ballet, my favorite moments have been working together with my fellow dancers to create something magical, and The Nutcracker Suite is a perfect example of this.” 

The Nutcracker Suite performs November 3 – 4 at the Lesher Center for the Arts, located at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek. Performances are: Friday, November 3 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, November 4 at 2 pm & 7:30 pm. Single tickets are on sale now ($28 - $57) with senior and youth pricing available. This magical ballet is a perfect kick off to the holidays and is sure to delight all audiences. For tickets, call 925-943-SHOW (7469) or visit www.lesherartscenter.org or www.diabloballet.org.

Immediately following the 2pm performance on November 4, Diablo Ballet presents the Sugar Plum Party for children and parents at the Lesher Center. Join the cast of The Nutcracker Suite for a special meet and greet, ballet class demonstration, autograph signing, and more. Tickets are limited and sold separately directly through www.diabloballet.org and all guests must have a ticket to attend.

About Diablo Ballet

Since 1994, Diablo Ballet has been the award-winning professional dance company for Contra Costa County. Aside from presenting acclaimed classical and contemporary ballets, the company is also committed to introducing youth to the arts through its renowned PEEK Outreach Program, which has reached over 75,000 underserved school children in the East Bay since 1995. Additionally, Diablo Ballet has served hundreds of at-risk teenagers incarcerated within the Juvenile Justice system since 2015. In 2019, the company began working with teenagers housed at the Behavioral Health Unit at John Muir Hospital in Concord. In August 2019, Diablo Ballet launched the first ballet school in Contra Costa County run by a professional ballet company, located in Walnut Creek.

Photo credit: Rosselyn Ramirez

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