By Pamela SchottSpecial to Conejo CalendarPhoto courtesy of Paul Kolnik New York City Ballet principal dancers Tiler Peck and Gonzalo Garcia as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.
For many families, attending an annual performance of “The Nutcracker” ballet is a treasured piece of their holiday traditions — an inter-generational celebration as cherished as hanging the star on the Christmas tree or lighting the menorah.
These days, however, with the number of “Nutcracker” ballets performed as numerous as the mice that haunt Clara’s dream in the ballet’s first act, choosing which ballet to attend is often a challenge. Add to this the pressure of the economy, and it’s easy to see how a holiday tradition can quickly go from cherished to complicated.
As the resident ballet company at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Pacific Festival Ballet knows just how integral this tradition is to families in Southern California. For the past 17 years, the company has been dazzling audiences with its seasonal performance of “The Nutcracker,” drawing talent from amongst its student ranks who train for the company at California Dance Theatre, as well as professional dancers from companies across the country.
This year, joined by New York City Ballet principal dancers Tiler Peck and Gonzalo Garcia as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, Pacific Festival Ballet’s performance of “The Nutcracker” promises to be its best ever.
“Basically, if you want to see dancers from New York City Ballet on stage, you have to go to New York,” said Kim Maselli, Pacific Festival Ballet artistic director. “The fact that Ms. Peck and Mr. Garcia will be performing with us here in the Conejo Valley is tremendous for our company and the audience.”
“The challenge companies often face when presenting a seasonal ballet is finding that kernel of excitement, year after year, so that every performance is as fresh and dazzling as the first one,” said Lori Sorensen, the company’s administrative director. “We’ve found that kernel.”
A native of Bakersfield, California, Sugar Plum Fairy Tiler Peck joined New York City Ballet at the age of 16 as a member of the company’s corps de ballet. She quickly moved up to soloist, adding NYCB Principal Ballerina to her resume by the time she was 21.
New York City Ballet Principal Gonzalo Garcia returns to the Pacific Festival Ballet stage once again to partner with Peck as her Sugar Plum Cavalier. Born in Zaragoza, Spain, Garcia began studying ballet at the age of eight, eventually joining New York City Ballet in October of 2007 as a principal dancer.
Peck and Garcia will be joined on stage by Pacific Festival Ballet dancers of all ages who auditioned for their roles in The Nutcracker in late September.
“For many of our dancers the chance to perform with New York City Ballet principal dancers will serve as a turning point in their lives,” Maselli said. “This experience alone will help them see what it takes to make it as a professional dancer, and will fuel that fire.”
Pacific Festival Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” begins with two performances Saturday, December 18, at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m., and continues Sunday, December 19, at 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. More information is online at www.pacificfestivalballetcompany.com, or on the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Website: www.toaks.org.
Tickets are available at the box office or through Ticketmaster.