For 39 years, audiences have thrilled to Westside Ballet of Santa Monica's annual lavish production of The Nutcracker. From the moment the lights dim, Westside Ballet's The Nutcracker transports audiences to a magical world filled with peppermint candy and dancing snowflakes, set to Tchaikovsky's majestic score. It's the traditional full-length ballet, from the Victorian-style party scene to the glittering Sugar Plum Fairy. Overseeing the production as Artistic Director is Yvonne Mounsey, founder of Westside Ballet of Santa Monica and former principal dancer with New York City Ballet under George Balanchine.

Overseeing the production as Artistic Director is Yvonne Mounsey, founder of Westside Ballet of Santa Monica and former principal dancer with New York City Ballet under George Balanchine. During Mounsey's distinguished career with New York City Ballet, she created the role of Center Spanish in Balanchine's original production of The Nutcracker.

Westside Ballet of Santa Monica draws its company from the affiliated Westside Ballet School, considered the premier ballet school in Los Angeles. Students have gone on to distinguished careers, receiving national and international recognition.

In 2010 Nutcracker features Westside Ballet alumnus Melissa Barak returns as the Sugar Plum Fairy for two performances the weekend of December 11-12. Barak began her formal ballet training at Westside Ballet School at the age of 8. She studied there for 8 years before becoming accepted as a student into the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York, NY. She then became a principal dancer with New York City Ballet for 9 years.

About Westside Ballet of Santa Monica Company - Westside Ballet of Santa Monica Company, a nonprofit organization, is one of the nation's premier ballet training companies. This pre-professional company was created by Yvonne Mounsey and Rosemary Valaire in 1970.

Westside Ballet's annual lavish full-length production of "The Nutcracker," showcases the most promising young dancers in Los Angeles. It's the story of Clara, a girl who receives a nutcracker for Christmas and is transported to a magical world of Sugarplum Fairies and villainous mice.

Brought to life by falling snow and a Christmas tree that grows, Westside Ballet's Nutcracker is not only the longest running production in Los Angeles history – it's the closest to George Balanchine's original version in quality, integrity, and musicality.

Special attention to costumes, choreography and characters come from the input of an esteemed faculty at Westside School of Ballet, located in Santa Monica.

Westside Ballet past Nutcracker productions have included Monique Meunier (New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater), Anna Liceica (American Ballet Theater), Martine Harley (Houston Ballet), Melissa Barak (New York City Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, Morphoses, the Wheeldon Company), Andrew Veyette (New York City Ballet), Frances Veyette (Pennsylvania Ballet), Kylee Kitchens (Pacific Northwest Ballet), Sarah Poss (Dutch National Ballet) and many more.

The company provides the promising young dancers of the Westside School of Ballet the performance opportunities that are so vital to their growth -- and makes dance more accessible to local children and families. Westside Ballet Company now comprises approximately 100 dancers, ages 8 to 18.  westsideballet.com

Based on E.T.A. Hoffman's, "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice”, not only is the Westside Ballet Nutcracker one of the longest running productions in Los Angeles history, it also is one of the most popular. If you have to select just one Nutcracker ballet to see this year, Westside Ballet production will be among the best.