Los Angeles Ballet Presents "The Nutcracker" This Holiday Season

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The production features choreography by Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary and includes a sensory-friendly performance.

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Los Angeles Ballet has announced its 2026/2027 season. With 10 works in all, this is LAB's biggest programmatic season to date. LAB holds the distinction of being the longest-operating professional classical ballet company in the history of Los Angeles.

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This season will open with a special engagement with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl with an original work by Artistic Director Melissa Barak, a return to BroadStage in Santa Monica with a triple bill celebrating American choreographers, 17 performances of LAB's original production of The Nutcracker at Royce Hall and Dolby Theatre, a continuation of its residency at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in January 2026 with returning choreographers Christopher Wheeldon and Ma Cong, and a long-awaited Company premiere of the feel-good story book ballet, Coppélia.

Hollywood Bowl

September 8, 2026

Los Angeles Ballet makes its Hollywood Bowl debut with the LA Philharmonic in a night of Mexican and American gems for orchestra and ballet as part of the Classical Tuesdays & Thursdays of the LA Phil's Hollywood Bowl 2026 summer season.

Artistic Director Melissa Barak choreographs a new ballet set to Gabriela Ortiz's Kauyumari, a spiritual and celebratory piece about music's power to heal, transform, and expose the intangible. Included in the program is George Balanchine 's jazzy choreography, described as 'tap dance on pointe,' from the 1970 ballet of Gershwin songs, Who Cares?

Grammy-winning conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto leads the orchestra in rustic, riveting music inspired by the American West and Mexico's landscapes. Copland's symphonic story Rodeo pits a local cowgirl against visiting city girls, Moncayo's Huapango elicits joy through lively Mexican folk rhythms, and Revueltas' Janitzio kicks off the night with a musical postcard from Lake Pátzcuaro.

Kauyumari — Choreography: Melissa Barak — Music: Kauyumari – Gabriela Ortiz

Who Cares? — Choreography: George Balanchine — Music: from the 1970 ballet of Gershwin songs – George Gershwin

Music inspired by the American West and Mexico's landscapes:

Silvestre Revueltas - Janitzio

Aaron Copland - Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo

José Pablo Moncayo - Huapango

AMERICAN ICONS

BroadStage

September 24 – 26, 2026

In honor of America at 250, American Icons celebrates legendary innovators in American dance and music. The program opens with an encore of Artistic Director Melissa Barak's wildly successful original work Wavelength in collaboration with luxury fashion house ETRO and musical score by American composer, David Lawrence .

Included in the program are two legendary American dancemakers, Jerome Robbins and Paul Taylor . Robbins' The Cage takes the audience into an intense scene where a tribe of female insects prey on the male counterparts that enter their habitat. Premiering in 1951, The Cage stands till this day as a revolutionary work both in invention and abstract storytelling. Paul Taylor 's Dilly Dilly is also a masterclass in abstract storytelling where its cast of 11 dancers playfully frolic and romp to the famous tunes of American folk singer, Burl Ives .

The Cage — Choreography: Jerome Robbins — Music: Concerto in D for String Orchestra – Igor Stravinsky

Dilly Dilly — Choreography: Paul Taylor — Music: A medley of folk songs – Burl Ives

Wavelength — Choreography: Melissa Barak — Music: David Lawrence

The Nutcracker

Royce Hall at UCLA, December 11-13, 2026

Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, December 18-27, 2026

Choreography: Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary — Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

The Nutcracker is an annual favorite in LA for family and friends, and for visitors from around the world. Journey with young Clara and her beloved Nutcracker as they battle the most memorable Mouse King, encounter dancing Snowflakes, and travel to the Palace of the Dolls. Los Angeles Ballet stays true to the traditions of the holiday story with tastes of Southern California such as an elegant Spanish-style Hancock Park home, calla lilies, bougainvillea, California poppies, the snowy forests of Big Bear, Venice Beach archways, and a moonlit Pacific Ocean. The Nutcracker opens at Royce Hall at UCLA and culminates through the holidays at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood including a performance on Christmas Eve. Performances at Dolby Theatre feature Tchaikovsky's iconic score performed live by the Los Angeles Ballet Orchestra and conducted by Maestro Gavriel Heine.

The Nutcracker Sensory Friendly Performance

December 26 at 2:00 pm

Dolby Theatre

This performance is specially adapted to create a more comfortable and accessible environment for individuals with autism, sensory sensitivities, or other cognitive or social challenges, as well as their families. In partnership with the Autism Society Los Angeles Chapter.

Nutcracker Tea

The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

November 21 & 22, 2026

LAB's signature holiday fundraiser features a delightful tea party experience for guests of all ages, culminating in a special presentation of characters and scenes from LAB's beloved production of The Nutcracker. The event features High Tea sweets and savories, a Nutcracker-themed craft, interactive photo opps, and a special excerpted ballet performance. Children are invited to dance with Clara and her doll friends as they come to life. Nutcracker Tea! provides vital support for LAB initiatives such as its Outreach and Education Programs.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

The Wallis

February 4-6, 2027

Movers and Shakers, a mixed rep program, invites you into the imagination of some of today's most gifted dancemakers. Polyphonia is the ballet that put a very young Christopher Wheeldon officially on the map. Set to music by Hungarian composer György Ligeti, Wheeldon captures the music's arresting qualities with a physical intensity of movement he has become known and admired for. Ma Cong's Carry Me Anew offers a sensual and funky display of vigorous movement in motion. A highly anticipated world premiere by Maté Szentes rounds out the program, signaling Los Angeles Ballet's mission of identifying and promoting fresh new voices in today's choreographic scene. Movers and Shakers not only shows us where ballet is today, but where it is headed.

Polyphonia — Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon — Music: 10 pieces of music* – György Ligeti

Carry Me Anew — Choreography: Ma Cong — Music: Nils Frahm

World Premiere — Choreography: Mate Szentes — Music: TBA

COPPELIA

Dolby Theatre

June 10-13, 2027

A sparkling jewel of the classical repertory, Coppélia enchants with humor, romance, and dazzling virtuosity. Set to Léo Delibes's radiant score, this beloved ballet follows Swanilda, a spirited young woman determined to uncover the mystery behind Dr. Coppélius and his astonishingly lifelike doll. What begins as harmless curiosity quickly unfolds into a whirlwind of mistaken identities, playful mischief, and comic chaos.

Bursting with vibrant character dances, exquisite classical technique, and richly theatrical storytelling, Coppélia has charmed audiences for generations with its warmth, wit, and irresistible spirit. Beneath the comedy lies a heartfelt celebration of imagination, love, and the joy of being human. Perfect for audiences of all ages, this timeless classic remains one of ballet's most delightful and enduring treasures—an exuberant experience filled with elegance, laughter, and pure theatrical magic.

All performances feature the Los Angeles Ballet Orchestra conducted by Maestro Gavriel Heine.

Coppélia — Choreography: Arthur Saint-Léon — Music: Léo Delibes

Outreach and Education: A Chance to Dance (ACTD) LAB opens its doors to all ages and skill levels in the Los Angeles community each month for a day of free ballet classes, alternative dance/fitness classes, and lectures and demonstrations. A Chance to Dance continues its partnership with McKinley School in Compton through a series of 6-week residencies in September/October 2025 and February/March 2026. These residencies serve students ranging from K-5th grades.

Power of Performance (POP!) provides free access to LAB performances each season to community organizations throughout Los Angeles County such as Hope Street Family Center (Dignity Health), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, VetTix, WISE and Healthy Aging, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, and more. To date, POP! has provided over 50 community partners with nearly 200,000 free performance tickets.

Subscriptions and Single Tickets

Season subscription series Opening Nights, Fouetté Fridays, Saturday Nights, and Matinees and Choose Your Own subscriptions are available. Subscriptions range in price from $69 to $346.

Standard Tickets: $38.00 - $157.00

Performances with Live Orchestra Tickets: $45.00 - $165.00

Discounts are available on standard ticket prices for students, children, seniors, educators, first responders, veterans and active duty members. Special Group Rates also available.

Box Office Phone: 310-998-7782, Mon-Fri, 12pm-5pm; Website http://www.losangelesballet.org ; email tickets@losangelesballet.org

Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) is the leading ballet company in Los Angeles known for staging classical, contemporary, romantic, and neoclassical ballets, for pioneering new works, and for presenting relevant dance pieces by many of today's most innovative dance-makers. LAB's original production of The Nutcracker is an annual holiday favorite for Los Angeles residents and regional, national, and international visitors.

Led by Artistic Director Melissa Barak and Executive Director Julia Rivera, LAB performs in theater venues in LA County including BroadStage in Santa Monica, Royce Hall at UCLA, The Wallis in Beverly Hills, The Music Center's Ahmanson Theatre, and Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. As part of its mission to expand people's knowledge of and nurture a love for ballet, LAB gives access to performances to the widest audiences possible by providing free tickets for thousands of residents in underserved communities in Los Angeles County through its arts education program, Power of Performance (POP!). In 2012, LAB launched a hands-on outreach program called A Chance to Dance (ACTD) providing free ballet and movement instruction for dance lovers of all ages. Los Angeles Ballet was founded in 2004 by Artistic Directors, Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary , and Executive Director, Julie Whittaker.

For more information, please visit losangelesballet.org

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/THE-NUTCRACKER-to-Open-at-Los-Angeles-Ballet-This-Holiday-20261002)._