The Nutcracker, Featuring Antoinette Wood

Returning to the Inland Empire this December by the Inland Pacific Ballet (IBP) is the classic holiday production, danced to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, The Nutcracker. Critically acclaimed IPB brings The Nutcracker to life with dazzling sets complete with falling snow, an antique original Albany Flyer One Horse Open Sleigh, a 40-foot Chinese Dragon, beautiful costumes handmade in-house at IPB’s costume department, and a cast of 80 dancers. New to this year’s production is a completely re-choreographed Snow Scene for an expanded cast of 20 and a brand new lighting design. Also new to this performance is 12-year-old Antoinette Wood from Redlands, playing the role of the Candy Cane and Orphan. Wood has been dancing since she was 2-years-old, but this will be her first time performing The Nutcracker. “What’s cool about this performance is that I get to dance with my friend, Gretta,” Wood says. “She helped me get the part.” Wood juggles dance and life in middle school, but enjoys studying math and science. She admits that she’s a “procrastinator, and it’s tough to keep up the energy.” Although juggling dance and school tends to be a struggle, Wood looks forward to bringing her greatest effort and energy into the performance, under the direction of Clinton Rothwell. Not only does Rothwell have an outstanding resume, (having been a dancer with Royal Opera Ballet, principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Holland, and National Ballet of Canada), but he's also real “biker dude,” who rides up to the ballet studio on his Harley! The Nutcracker returns to the Inland Empire with performances at Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.; Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.; Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga on Friday, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. [END] We do hope you will consider an article on Inland Pacific Ballet’s spectacular production of The Nutcracker which returns to the Inland Empire with performances at Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College on Saturday, December 5 at 2pm & 7:30pm and Sunday, December 6 at 2pm; Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside on Saturday, December 12 at 2pm & 7:30pm and Sunday, December 6 at 2pm; Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga on Friday, December 18 at 7:30pm, Saturday, December 19 at 2pm & 7:30pm, and Sunday, December 20 at 2pm. Inland Pacific Ballet (IPB) is the professional ballet company based in the Inland Empire committed to producing exquisitely staged productions of full-length classic story ballets as well as presenting the best in contemporary choreography, returns with its spectacular production of The Nutcracker, the classic holiday story danced to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score. Critically acclaimed IPB brings The Nutcracker to life with dazzling sets complete with falling snow, an antique original Albany Flyer One Horse Open Sleigh, a 40-foot Chinese Dragon, beautiful costumes handmade in-house at IPB’s costume department, and a cast of 80 dancers. New to this year’s production is a completely re-choreographed Snow Scene for an expanded cast of 20 and a brand new lighting design. A few article ideas for you to consider:  The youngest dancers are 6 years old. Typically the 6 and 7 years olds take on the role of the Bon Bons. There is a trend every year for these young dancers to aspire to perform the roles that the older children are portraying and study them during the rehearsals in hopes of moving up the Nutcracker “ladder” each year.  This year the role of Clara will be shared by IP Ballet Academy Trainees Lauren Collett and Emily Baggarly, both 14 years old and attended prestigious Summer Intensive programs in New York City – Emily at American Ballet Theatre and Lauren at New York City Ballet.  There are 9 sets of siblings who are in this year’s production of The Nucracker. Kudos to the parents who have to arrange their schedules to take their kids to rehearsals which, depending on their roles in the production can vary in time and dates, making for many trips to IPB’s studio in Montclair.  Dancers reside in Alta Loma, Banning, Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Corona, Diamond Bar, Eastvale, Fontana, Glendora, Hacienda Heights, Hesperia, Idyllwild, La Verne, Loma Linda, Montclair, Mt. Baldy, Ontario, Phelan, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Riverside, Rowland Heights, San Diego, San Dimas, Upland, Walnut, and Yorba Linda.  Inland Pacific Ballet was founded in 1994 by Southern California natives Victoria Koenig and Kevin Myers, and has quickly become one of Southern California’s cultural jewels. Its mission is to build and sustain a professional ballet company of national stature in the Inland Empire of Southern California, committed to producing exquisitely staged productions of full-length classic story ballets as well as presenting the best in contemporary choreography.  This year’s Nutcracker Ballet Master is Clinton Rothwell, Classical ballet choreographer/ teacher/music sound collage designer and Harley “biker dude.” What makes Clinton stand out, is that not only does he have a terrific resume (had been a dancer with Royal Opera Ballet, principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Holland, and National Ballet of Canada), but that he's also real biker dude, who rides up to the ballet studio on his Harley.  IPB Principal Dancer, the exquisite Meilu Zhai of Montclair, will reign over the Kingdom of Sweets as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Meilu is a former dancer with the National Ballet of China and returns for her fourth season with IPB. Also returning is IPB Principal Dancer Cameron Schwanz of Corona, who will dance as the Cavalier and the Nutcracker. Cameron is a thrilling dancer who returned to southern California three years ago to join IPB as the Beast for its premiere of Beauty and the Beast. He previously danced with Texas Ballet Theater, Ballet Pacifica/Festival Ballet Theater, Los Angeles Ballet, and Ballet San Jose. IPB Principal Dancer Jonathan Sharp as Drosselmeyer, returns for a seventh season with IPB and brings an extensive resume of dancing professionally with the Boston and Pennsylvania Ballet companies, and appearances in original casts of five Broadway shows. Jonathan is currently appearing in San Diego’s Old Globe production of In Your Arms.