This annual production tells the story of a young girl named Clara who receives a magical nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve and sets out on a wondrous journey to the Land of the Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets.

"The Nutcracker" comes to life in this magnificent ballet with beautiful sets, dazzling costumes, Tchaikovsky’s classic score, and more than 80 dancers on stage. Toy soldiers, life-sized dancing dolls, falling snow, a fantastic dream with battling mice, dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers, gingerbread characters and the delightful Sugar Plum Fairy stir the imagination. A wonderful production for all.

In addition to IPB’s Company of professional dancers, the diverse cast includes a total of 62 youth between the ages of 6-18 who make up multiple casts at the two venues. Participating youth come primarily from the IPB Academy, where many are from local area communities.

Special guest artists will be performing in this year’s performances as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier:

Dec. 21 and 22 at Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College in Claremont, former IPB Academy student and now a New York City Ballet principal dancer, and the first Asian American female principal in NYCB’s 75-year history, Mira Nadon returns to IPB’s Nutcracker to dance in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, along with fellow NYCB principal dancer Peter Walker dancing in the role of Cavalier. 

For performances on Dec. 7 and 8 at Bridges and Dec. 14 and 15 at Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, Lori Hernández, a highly sought after guest principal artist who has over 1.2 million followers on TikTok, will dance in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, along with former American Ballet Theater dancer Marshall Whiteley in the role of Cavalier.