California Nutcracker Ballet

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HUNTINGTON BEACH: Ballet E'tudes The Nutcracker

December 14-15, 2023, 4:30 & 7:30 p.m.

Ballet Etudes will Perform the Nutcracker at Huntington Beach Central Children's Library 

7111 Talbert Ave.
Huntington Beach, CA
Tickets: $10, balletetudes.com

california nutcracker

Huntington Academy of Dance

Ballet Etudes production of The Nutcracker. Ballet Etudes is a nonprofit youth ballet company extending performing opportunities to pre-professional ballet students while introducing the art of ballet to young audience members.

Artistic Director: Sasha Robertson
Coming to the Huntington Beach High School Auditorium, 1905 Main St., Huntington Beach, CA.

Ballet Etudes performs a full length Nutcracker as well as two original children's ballets per year. Past productions include: Thumbelina, Coppelia, Candyland, Yellow Brick Road, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and many others.

Ballet Etudes Artistic Staff includes many great talents. Kimberly McEachern is the Owner and Artistic Director of Huntington Academy of Dance and the Director of DANCE HB! for Huntington Beach Parks & Recreation. As a teacher and choreographer, McEachern and her students have won numerous top awards at both local and national competitions. She recently accepted an award from the Allied Arts Board for Excellence in Arts Administration.  McEachern enjoys teaching and coaching students and is committed to promoting classical ballet. She is the former director of Newport Dance Academy.  McEachern received her training from Brenda Joyce, Marnell Himes (former owner of the Dance Academy), Gary Joyce, and Rebecca Wright of ABT. McEachern received a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA in 2000 and holds her Licentiate certification with Cecchetti USA.

 With over 40 years experience training dancers and teachers of the highest caliber, Marnell Himes-Ushijima is the Artistic Advisor and Founding Member. She received her training at the National Ballet School in Toronto, and has gone on to train with well known ballet companies such as American Ballet Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet San Jose, and Miami City Ballet to name a few. She serves as Director Emeritus of Huntington Academy of Dance and continues to serve Ballet Etudes as an advisor.

With an expertise in  classical dance, Himes-Ushijima is a Fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, Cecchetti Branch, Cecchetti USA and Cecchetti Council of America. She is well known and sought after throughout the U.S. and internationally to teach master classes and as an Examiner for the Cecchetti USA.

Julie Ertl, Artistic Director, trained at the Houston Ballet Academy and received a dance scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance. While at the University, she was a member of the Dance Repertory Theater and danced as an extra with Ballet Austin.  She has performed in Cole, Annie, 42nd Street and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Perfectly Frank and Kiss Me Kate stage productions. She holds an Associate certification with Cecchetti USA and has completed the Grade 9 ballet.

Sean Crawford began her training in Santa Barbara with Bob and Carol Hanlin at the Goleta Civic Ballet School. She also trained at Westside Academy of Dance, Houston Ballet Academy, Chicago School of Ballet and Joffrey Ballet of New York City. Ms. Crawford's performing experience has taken her all over the US and has given her the opportunity to work with  artists such as Yvonne Mounsey, founder of Westside Ballet of Santa Monica, Rosemary Valaire, Maria Talchief, Allegra Kent, Melissa Hayden, and Jacques d'Amboise. Crawford's ballet training ranges from French, Russian, and Cecchetti methods.

Gary Joyce, received his early training from Huntington Academy of Dance founder Marnell Himes. He attended the San Francisco Ballet School and joined American Ballet Theatre II at the age of 18.   He has performed numerous solo and principle roles and also has two film credits with appearances in movies, Six Weeks and Footloose.  He is also a faculty member of Huntington Academy of Dance and coaches Ballet Etudes' company dancers. He previously spent 13 years with the companies of Nevada Dance Theatre, Keil Ballet and Munich Ballet.

Other fun events to enjoy while celebrating seasons include the annual Polar Plunge on January 1,  Easter Egg Hunt in Central Park, U.S. Open of Surfing, Halloween on Main Street, Oktoberfest and Coast City Ballet's Nutcracker Ballet at Christmas time.


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