SeeCalifornia.com

Middle picture: Don’t try this at home…it’s Dove of Peace in which two dancers become one.

Unless you have a child or relative who’s serious about ballet, you probably shouldn’t take a first date to The Nutcracker performed solely by local school kids. There are no hard, fast rules–just consider yourself warned that if you’re going to turn someone onto this classic, a slow-moving amateur production can have the opposite effect, turning some first-timers into Nutcracker haters.  Your best opportunity to go nuts starts this week with the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker. 80 of the top world talents that have included Olympic gold medal winners, appear in a ballet production that’s a spectacle to behold. In the ballet world, it’s Gold!  This year’s Great Russian Nutcracker appears in 6 California cities — Bakersfield (Nov. 6), Cupertino (Dec. 19), Los Angeles (Dec. 21), Santa Rosa (Dec. 20), Santa Ynez (Nov. 6 & Dec. 18), and San Diego (Dec. 16).  See this production first and if you’re hooked take a look at others. What’s the harm?