Events

The Nutcracker Ballet

SATURDAY, Nov. 26, 2022 | 2PM & 7PM
SUNDAY, Nov. 27, 2022 | 2PM
ALBERTA BAIR THEATER

Anne Harrigan, Vincent W. & Janet M. Carpenter Music Director

SAN DIEGO BALLET
Matt Carney, Executive Director
Javier Velasco, Artistic Director
Ahita Ardalan Bergman, Stage Manager and Lighting Designer
Kelly Averett, Backstage Director
Marcia Averett, Costume Mistress
Beverly Norriss, Backstage Manager
Patricia Osoria, Boutique
Robin Morgan, Tour & Founding Director

BILLINGS SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL BALLET
Betty Loos & Julia Marble Blass, Directors

The Nutcracker Ballet

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

ACT ONE

The Christmas Party

The Dream

The Kingdom of Snow

Intermission

ACT TWO

The Kingdom of the Sweets

The Nutcracker

Choreographed by Robin Morgan & Javier Velasco

Music composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

The story takes place at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum and their children, Clara and Frity, during the 19th century. One of the guests at their Christmas party is Clara’s godfather Drosselmeyer and his nephew. After bringing life-like dolls to entertain the children, he presents Clara with a Nutcracker doll that she immediately falls in love with, but Fritz snatches the doll away and it breaks. Drosselmeyer fixes the Nutcracker, and everyone joins in a dance led by Clara’s Grandfather which brings the party to an end.

Later that night, after everyone has gone to bed, Clara sneaks down to retrieve her Nutcracker but instead finds her brother’s empty rat cage. Suddenly, the escaped rats turn giant-size and as the clock strikes midnight they steal her Nutcracker doll and everything in the house begins to change. The Christmas tree grows gigantic and Clara, grief-stricken over the loss of her doll, watches her now life-like Nutcracker lead large toy soldiers in a battle against the giant rats. Just as the Nutcracker is to receive a fatal wound, Clara saves him by hitting the Rat King on the head with her slipper. The Nutcracker suddenly transforms into a Prince who invites Clara to visit the Candy Kingdom as a reward for saving his life.

On their journey through the snow, the two meet the Snow King and Snow Queen who dance the Waltz of the Snowflakes in a wintry scene. The second Act opens, and Clara and the Prince finally arrive in the Land of the Sweets, where Clara is entertained by the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy and her retinue for saving her Prince.

San Diego Ballet

Founded in 1990 by Robin Morgan, the San Diego Ballet features strong contemporary ballets created by award-winning resident choreographer, Javier Velasco. San Diego Ballet has collaborated with many organizations including the SD Symphony, SD Opera, SD Chamber Orchestra, SD Camarada, Grossmont Symphony, SD Culture Shock, and SD Dance Theater during their seasons. SDB is also a touring company to the Midwest and Southwestern states, and has been voted #1 dance troupe by The Reader’s Poll of the SD Union-Tribune, and is the only Nutcracker in San Diego included in CBS-Los Angeles’ top picks of “So Cal’s 5 Best Nutcrackers!”

Javier Velasco | Artistic Director

Javier Velasco has supplied dances for productions at the La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe, and has a long-standing relationship with the San Diego Repertory Theatre, where he has staged productions of A Christmas Carol, Cabaret, Hairspray, Tommy, In the Heights, Evita and many others. He has enjoyed many long creative relationships, having worked with Luis Valdez on the 20th Anniversary production of Zoot Suit, Bandido, and Corridos; composer Steve Gunderson on the premieres of Suds (NYC), Dixie Highway, Back to Bacharach David (NYC), Everybody’s Talkin, and The House of Dreams.

Mr. Velasco currently serves as artistic director of the San Diego Ballet, having created over 70 original pieces for the company since its inception, including 10 pieces in collaboration with composer David Burge, to commissioned scores. His ballet set to the poems of Kenneth Fearing—LOVE: 20 cents the first quarter mile—was given the award for Best Choreography by the San Diego Area Dance Alliance, the third time he was honored by the organization, and his Mambomania won Grand Prize at the 1st Palm Desert Dance Festival. More recently, Mr. Velasco was awarded a Creative Catalyst Fellowship by the San Diego Foundation to create new works for San Diego Ballet company with jazz great, Charles McPherson and has directed and choreographed a new musical, House of Dreams, slated for Broadway.

School of Classical Ballet

Since 1970, the School of Classical Ballet in Billings, Montana, has offered high-quality dance education to dancers of all ages. Students who have trained at SCB have gone on to prestigious summer dance programs, high-quality colleges and universities, and professional dance companies.

Julia Marble Blass | Owner, Co-Director, Instructor

Julia Marble Blass’ dance education began in Birmingham, MI, followed by six years training in Billings with June Austin and School of Classical Ballet. She then attended and graduated high school from the National Academy of the Arts (Champaign-Urbana, IL), attended college at Cornish Institute of the Allied Arts (Seattle, WA) on scholarship, before moving to New York City to further her training under many great instructors of ballet, modern, and jazz. She performed with various dance companies in NYC for 12+ years. Julia has taught all ages ballet, modern, and early childhood dance for more than 25 years, and has numerous prestigious teacher training certifications, including American Ballet Theater (NYC) and Anne Green Gilbert’s (BCDE) Program (Seattle). She served as the Director (Instructor and Choreographer) at Dance Arts Los Alamos (NM), and in 2012, co-founded the children’s community non-profit dance company, Motion Arts Dance Company (MADCo), currently serving as a Director.

Betty Loos | Co-Director

Betty Loos directed her own school for six years before co-founding the School of Classical Ballet with former business partner Jana Stockton. Betty received her early training from June Austin and Hungarian teachers Ildiko Perjessy and Angela McAlpin in Billings, MT. she continued her training at the University of Utah, and at the Teachers’ Training Program through the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and National Ballet of Canada. Betty was awarded a teacher’s fellowship to attend the National Ballet of Canada.

Betty has served as a Founder, Co-Director and choreographer with the Billings children’s community dance company, Motion Arts Dance Company, established in the fall of 2012.