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Los Angeles Ballet Co-Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are excited to unveil the ballets selected for LAB's eighth season. Home / News / New Item LAB Announces 2013/2014 Season August 1, 2013 Company News from the Staff at LAB Los Angeles Ballet Co-Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are excited to unveil the ballets selected for LAB's eighth season. The season opens with Los Angeles Ballet's original production of The Nutcracker. In March 2014, Quartet presents Return to a Strange Land, by Jiří Kylián; World Premieres by Christopher Stowell and Sonya Tayeh; and Stars and Stripes, by George Balanchine. The season concludes in May/June 2014 with the two-act story ballet La Sylphide, paired with Balanchine's romantic Serenad

Los Angeles Ballet stepped into its sixth season with a delightful holiday performance of The Nutcracker at The Alex Theatre in Glendale last weekend. LAB alternately charmed and thrilled its audience with dancing that conveyed emotional depth, and bravura displays that combined strength and grace. Home / News / New Item ‘The Nutcracker’ is a Triumph for Los Angeles Ballet December 12, 2011 BurbankNBeyond by Greg Simay Los Angeles Ballet stepped into its sixth season with a delightful holiday performance of The Nutcracker at The Alex Theatre in Glendale last weekend. LAB alternately charmed and thrilled its audience with dancing that conveyed emotional depth, and bravura displays that combined strength and grace. Act I, Scene One (hallway) features wonderfully expressive acting by Clara (Mia Katz) and her annoying brother Fritz (Aidan Merchel-Zoric). The charm continues into Scene Two (The Party) with engaging choreography and a stunning performance by the Cossack Doll (Chehon Wespi-Tschopp): ten consecutive turns (tour a la seconde) followed by a quadruple pirouette. And Scene Three is both playful and serious in its dispatch of the Mouse King. Act II, Scene One is a feast of superb performances that range from exquisite to vigorous. And the final scene when Clara awakens marks Mia Katz as a gifted actress as well as dancer. Like The Wizard of Oz would do in the 20th century, Tchaikovsky’s 19th century masterpiece celebrates the amazing worlds a young woman unleashes in her dreams. In The Wizard of Oz, the heroine Dorothy creates a world that enables her to work through relationship issues with the adults around her. In The Nutcracker, our heroine Clara is a bit more ambitious. She dreams of a romantic ideal. The scene opens just before the guests arrive at the Christmas Eve party at the Stalbaum Family’s festive home.Clara is being tormented by her brother Fritz, who attempts to wrestle her baby doll away from her. Later on, when the party is underway, we see Fritz and other boys waving toy guns and running through the crowd as Clara and the girls hug their dolls all the more tightly. And so we see, through a child’s eyes, society’s central problem: how to harness the male energy so that it protects fragile life rather than destroys it. Clara’s dear Uncle Drosselmeyer presents Clara with a life-sized Nutcracker, an example of male energy properly harnessed: the Nutcracker is able to crack the shell without destroying the nut. And was it just a coincidence that Fritz got knocked over in his presence when he persisted in teasing Clara? That night, Clara’s dream is that of an innocent young girl, not yet sailing into the storms of adolescence. So, her vision of men behaving badly is not a gang of wolves or even rats, but overgrown mice. Uncle Drossmeyer, personifying the civilizing tradition, summons The Nutcracker, symbolizing the young hero who must defend civilization anew. The Nutcracker dispatches the Mouse King; man’s better nature has triumphed over his baser one. As a result, Uncle Drossmeyer can now usher both Clara and her Nutcracker into a world where the delicate things—like snowflakes—can safely dance. A world where strength serves beauty and grace. The Nutcracker is a young girl’s wonderful dream of civilization as it might be. And for a few hours, Los Angeles Ballet made that dream a glorious reality. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to become more culturally involved, put LAB on your list. Then you’ll have at least one resolution you’re likely to keep long after the pounds have returned. The Nutcracker plays at Royce Hall, UCLA on Saturday the 17th and Sunday the 18th, at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 pm. Then it plays at the Redondo Beach performing Arts Center on Thursday the 22nd at 7:30 p.m., Friday the 23rd at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday the 24th at 1:00 p.m. Call the Box Office at 310-998-7782 or visit www.losangelesballet.org . DOWNLOAD PDF

One of the most beloved ballets of the Romantic era, Giselle is a haunting story about a young peasant girl who falls in love, only to be betrayed and driven to madness and death. Tempted in the afterlife by spirits to seek vengeance, Giselle’s enduring love ultimately saves her beloved. A combination of tender romance, dramatic betrayal, and ethereal beauty, Giselle remains a cornerstone of the classical ballet repertoire. 2025/2026 Season / Giselle / Giselle, May 3, 2026, 7:30 pm / Tickets

The evening included fine food and wine, live music, and a first glimpse of Los Angeles Ballet! Exhibits of the new sets and costumes for Los Angeles Ballet’s The Nutcracker were also on display. Home / News / New Item Bergamot Station Hosts Art for the Arts November 1, 2006 Company News from the Staff at LAB The event, with Honorary Chair Anjelica Huston, offered works by celebrity artists Tony Bennett, Orlando Bloom, Jeff Bridges, Tommy Chong, Leonard Cohen, David Cowles, Tony Curtis, Gil Garcetti, Joel Gray, Buck Henry, Dennis Hopper, Anjelica Huston, Steve Martin, Joni Mitchell, Viggo Mortensen, Martin Mull, Jane Seymour, Richard Schiff, and Yoko Ono, among others. The auction was conducted live by Santa Monica Auction House auctioneer, Robert Berman. The evening included fine food and wine, live music, and a first glimpse of Los Angeles Ballet! Exhibits of the new sets and costumes for Los Angeles Ballet’s The Nutcracker were also on display.

Read at the Los Angeles Times Home / News / New Item 'The Nutcracker' from Los Angeles Ballet As Los Angeles Ballet matures, so too does its first full-length production... December 7, 2009 Los Angeles Times by Laura Bleiburg Read at the Los Angeles Times DOWNLOAD PDF

Los Angeles Ballet presents a company of outstanding dancers from local communities and around the world. LAB dance artists master classical as well as contemporary techniques. John Dekle Hometown Jacksonville, FL Seasons with LAB 2 Seasons with LAB John commenced his ballet training at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville. At 16, he pursued additional training with the Florida Ballet. Subsequently, he received a full scholarship to the Miami City Ballet School. Upon completing his second year, he secured an apprenticeship for the 2023/2024 season. During this time, he performed in Balanchine's The Nutcracker , Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake , Romeo and Juliet , Concerto DSCH , and Firebird . In this past season at LAB, John showcased his artistry in Maté Szentes' premiere piece, "Lost in Time," "The Nutcracker," Melissa Barak's "Memory House," and Edward Liang's "Cinderella."

The Nutcracker 2017 Prodigal Son – Balanchine / Prokofiev Mackenzie Moser LAB Ensemble Petra Conti LAB Ensemble Mackenzie Moser & LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Jasmine Perry & Joshua Brown LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Bianca Bulle & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Mackenzie Moser & LAB Ensemble Mackenzie Moser LAB Ensemble Petra Conti LAB Ensemble Mackenzie Moser & LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Jasmine Perry & Joshua Brown LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Bianca Bulle & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Mackenzie Moser & LAB Ensemble Mackenzie Moser LAB Ensemble Petra Conti LAB Ensemble Mackenzie Moser & LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Jasmine Perry & Joshua Brown LAB Ensemble LAB Ensemble Bianca Bulle & LAB Ensemble Petra Conti & Tigran Sargsyan Mackenzie Moser & LAB Ensemble Previous Gallery All photos by Reed Hutchinson Click on image for a fullscreen presentation. Next Gallery

Los Angeles Ballet Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are pleased to announce the company’s fifth season as Los Angeles’ own professional ballet company. Home / News / New Item Los Angeles Ballet Announces Season 5 August 10, 2010 LAB Public Relations Celebrating Landmark Fifth Season! (Los Angeles, CA) Los Angeles Ballet Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary are pleased to announce the company’s fifth season as Los Angeles’ own professional ballet company. This season the company will dazzle viewers with The Nutcracker , Balanchine masterworks, a World Premiere , and the beloved romantic ballet Giselle . Back to thrill audiences during the holidays and begin the fifth season, LAB will perform its Neary- Christensen choreographed production of The Nutcracker , the city's most enduring holiday tradition. Celebration comes to Los Angeles in March, featuring Balanchine's luscious Raymonda Variations and riotous Western Symphony , plus another World Premiere created specifically for LAB dancers by the returning Sonya Tayeh. In May, the 2010-2011 landmark season culminates with the timeless, full-length romantic Giselle, with choreography by Artistic Director Thordal Christensen, (after Coralli, Perrot and Petipa). The Season 5 Gala Celebration will take place on Saturday May 28th, 2011, at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, after a performance of Giselle. Additionally, Los Angeles Ballet continues its commitment to the workshop process, to the identification and nurture of emerging choreographers, composers and designers. LAB’s Choreographic Workshop will take place May 24, 2011. The Company continues to build a repertoire that underscores the creative leadership of its artistic directors, presenting timeless classics as well as innovative choreography from today’s contemporary artists. DOWNLOAD PDF

The Nutcracker 2016 Who Cares? – Balanchine / Gershwin SarahAnne Perel, Zheng Hua Li & LAB Ensemble SarahAnne Perel & Javier Moya Romero Bianca Bulle, Dustin True & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani Joshua Brown SarahAnne Perel Elizabeth Claire Walker & LAB Ensemble Robert Mulvey, Jeongkon Kim & Samuel Akins Julia Cinquemani & Tigran Sargsyan Allyssa Bross & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani & Kenta Shimizu SarahAnne Perel, Zheng Hua Li & LAB Ensemble SarahAnne Perel & Javier Moya Romero Bianca Bulle, Dustin True & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani Joshua Brown SarahAnne Perel Elizabeth Claire Walker & LAB Ensemble Robert Mulvey, Jeongkon Kim & Samuel Akins Julia Cinquemani & Tigran Sargsyan Allyssa Bross & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani & Kenta Shimizu SarahAnne Perel, Zheng Hua Li & LAB Ensemble SarahAnne Perel & Javier Moya Romero Bianca Bulle, Dustin True & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani Joshua Brown SarahAnne Perel Elizabeth Claire Walker & LAB Ensemble Robert Mulvey, Jeongkon Kim & Samuel Akins Julia Cinquemani & Tigran Sargsyan Allyssa Bross & LAB Ensemble Julia Cinquemani & Kenta Shimizu Previous Gallery All photos by Reed Hutchinson Click on image for a fullscreen presentation. Next Gallery

Los Angeles Ballet presents a company of outstanding dancers from local communities and around the world. LAB dance artists master classical as well as contemporary techniques. Rony Baseman Hometown South Orange, NJ Seasons with LAB 1 Season with LAB Rony honed his craft at renowned institutions, including Miami City Ballet School (2009-2013), Kirova Ballet Miami (2013-2015), and ABT JKO School (2015-2022), graduating from the latter in 2022. His dedication earned him full merit scholarships at each school, along with the prestigious Agnes Varis Scholarship at ABT JKO (2018-2019). He further refined his skills through intensive training programs at ABT New York Summer Intensive (2015-2022) and Sarasota Cuban Ballet Summer Intensive (2023). Professionally, he performed with The Washington Ballet Company (2022-2024), taking on roles in Such Sweet Thunder (Billy Strayhorn), Serenade-Elegy Man, Theme and Variations, and as the Cavalier of Valor in Sleeping Beauty. In 2024, he joined OBII and performed in Romeo and Juliet, Peter Pan as a lost boy and Lead of the Hunt in Giselle. He also teaches Boys and Adult classes at Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica, CA.

Continuing to establish itself as a spirited and sophisticated -- if itinerant -- ballet company, Los Angeles Ballet opened its 2011-12 season over the weekend at the Alex Theatre in Glendale with a memorable cast for its distinctive, inspired “The Nutcracker.” Home / News / New Item Los Angeles Ballet polishes 'The Nutcracker" December 5, 2011 Los Angeles Times by Jean Lenihan Continuing to establish itself as a spirited and sophisticated -- if itinerant -- ballet company, Los Angeles Ballet opened its 2011-12 season over the weekend at the Alex Theatre in Glendale with a memorable cast for its distinctive, inspired “The Nutcracker.” As helmed by artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, Los Angeles Ballet’s “Nutcracker” delivers an admirable depth and intelligence of design combined with a light-handed approach to the ballet’s traditional Christmas-party characterizations and plot line. Catherine Kanner’s luscious Act 1 setting is 1912 Los Angeles, an interior drawing room so plush and timbered that even with its electric lights it still feels redolent of Tchaikovsky’s time. Inhabiting this velvety parlor, the pale, winsome Clara (Mia Katz) and her incandescent Uncle Drosselmeyer (Nicolas de la Vega) make a poetic pair, and it’s easy to root for their partnership. Usually an aged, menacing creature, Drosselmeyer is drawn here as blessedly young and gregarious. De la Vega’s sweeping gestures and scampering feet swell to light the whole stage. In lovely contrast, young Katz’s pale, long limbs move tentatively toward full expression, finally unleashing a full rush of joy when she receives her enchanting, full-sized Nutcracker doll (Nathaniel Solis). All the ensuing Act I scenes -- mice battles, tree expansion, blizzard of human snowflakes -- seem to extend from and amplify Clara’s core excitement over this special gift. Set in the amorphous “Palace of the Dolls,” Act 2 fails to sustain the momentum of Act 1, but that’s no shock. Few “Nutcrackers” figure out how to unify this hodgepodge of revved-up divertissements. Christensen and Neary attend to the structural flaw with some lovely touches (members of the different sections interact frequently on the sidelines; Clara comes from her viewing perch to hug the fairies before they depart), yet there’s room to improve their thematic grouping here. The divertissements -- a mix of Land of Sweets and Exotics (Arabian coffee, Spanish, Russian, Mother Gingerbread) combined with a reprisal of the commedia dell’arte dolls (in place of Chinese) and no Mirlitones section -- really become a smorgasbord of free-floating fairy-tale dreams. As Marie and her Cavalier, newly named company principals Allyssa Bross and Christopher Revels hit all the fouettés and fish dives, though Bross looks somewhat defrocked in Mikael Meybye’s short, simple tutu with three vertical red bows. Vivid power shone from standout soloists Chehon Wespi-Tschopp (Cossack doll) and Allynne Noelle (the Rose), while the crowd went mad for the repeat partnership of Julia Cinquemani and Alexander Castillo (Arabian). While Los Angeles Ballet certainly deserves its own theater, the troupe is a mightily impressive touring company. The quality of the recorded music, from musical director Michael Andreas, boosts this further. Los Angeles Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” Royce Hall, UCLA, 340 Royce Drive, Los Angeles. 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 17 and 18. Also: Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redond DOWNLOAD PDF

Los Angeles Ballet presents a company of outstanding dancers from local communities and around the world. LAB dance artists master classical as well as contemporary techniques. Marcos Ramirez Hometown Trinidad, Cuba Seasons with LAB 5 Seasons with LAB Marcos joined the National Ballet of Cuba at the age of 17. He joined LAB in 2020 and has performed the roles of Prince Desire in The Sleeping Beauty, Prince in Cinderella, The Cavalier Prince in The Nutcracker, Gustave in Lady of the Camellias, and other leading roles in pieces by Balanchine, Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon and Anabel López Ochoa. He has also performed in international Galas in Italy, Cuba, and the United States. Marcos was awarded 1st and 2nd place in international competitions in Cuba and 1st place in YAGP Philadelphia.