Friday, December 9, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 2 p.m.  and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 11, 2011  at 2 p.m.
Friday, December 16, 2011  at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 17, 2011  at 2 p.m.  and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 18, 2011  at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011  at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011  at 2 p.m.  and 7:30 p.m.

Live Music by City Ballet Orchestra - Executive Director  Jo Anne Emery, Resident Choreographer  Elizabeth Wistrich,  Artistic Director Steven Wistrich. The Nutcracker Live Music Performed by the City Ballet Orchestra John Nettles, Conductor

 The San Diego Dance Alliance awarded City Ballet of San Diego's production as The Best Nutcracker in San Diego. With classical music of  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky performed by City Ballet Orchestra under the direction of John Nettles, the talented choreographer Elizabeth Wistrich provides expertise for this production that is lauded as one of the best in California.  City Ballet of San Diego's first performance of The Nutcracker was in 1995, and the production has become an annual holiday tradition ever since.

The ballet swirls around Clara, who is given a Nutcracker for Christmas by her godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer. But this is no ordinary Nutcracker as Clara learns that very night. After a great battle with the Mouse King, the Nutcracker turns into a Prince. He takes Clara on a magic journey through the Land of the Snow to the Kingdom of the Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy honors the couple with entertainment from around the world. (This is one of the simplest, easy-to-understand explanations you'll find!)

There are several ballet companies performing The Nutcracker in San Diego, but only ONE City Ballet. If you select one event, this is it!

Steven Wistrich has directed City Ballet School and Company since 1993. He began training at the Boston School of Ballet with E. Virginia Williams and was the youngest principal male dancer at that school.  His career spans the globe --Netherlands Dance Theatre, Royal Norwegian Ballet (Oslo), Stuttgart Ballet, under the direction of John Cranko, and the Grand Theatre of Geneva (Switzerland), where he was personally coached by the late George Balanchine in principal roles. Steven has served as artistic director of the Arizona Ballet Theatre and was principal dancer and artistic director of the American Festival Ballet company. He has directed the dance program at the world-famous Interlochen Arts Academy and the ballet program and company at USIU in San Diego.

Elizabeth Wistrich, co-Director of City Ballet School, is a nationally respected teacher and award-winning choreographer whose ballets have been performed throughout the U.S.