Orange County’s Festival Ballet Theatre welcomes guest stars from The Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West and the American Ballet Theatre for their annual performances of The Nutcracker.

In a city like Los Angeles—not famous for having a particularly vivacious ballet scene—"The Nutcracker" is a big deal. Los Angeles’ dance audience seems to embrace the Tchaikovsky/Petipa classic each year anew, judging by the amount of sold-out shows around town. The Los Angeles Ballet, Westside School of Ballet, City Ballet of Los Angeles and the Festival Ballet Theatre all rely on the holiday favorite to sell seats. “It is an employer,” says Leslie Carothers-Aromaa, ballet chair at the Colburn School in downtown L.A. “Companies survive each year because of The Nutcracker.”

The Festival Ballet Theatre adorns its core roster of 11 company dancers with promising students from the Southland Ballet Academy as well as some high caliber guest stars. This year, director and choreographer Salwa Rizkalla landed a particular coup: she hired Ballet West’s rising young soloist Beckanne Sisk to dance the Act II Grand Pas de Deux. Of course, Sisk also stars in a certain CW reality show called “Breaking Pointe”. Countless little ballerinas were spotted at the stage door, waiting to get their tiny pointe shoes signed. Her partner for the three performances at the Irvine’s Barclay Theatre: one of the Joffrey Ballet’s most coveted male dancers, Fabrice Calmels.

Sisk and Calmels make a wonderful couple. Though Calmels with his 6’6" frame towers over Sisk, the two seem to have found their rhythm and a remarkable sense of trust (The air on those overhead lifts must have been getting thin for Sisk!). In Sunday night’s performance, what stood out the most was the bow to musicality and the joy they both put forth. It is no coincidence that Sisk’s rise through the ranks at Ballet West has been expedited by artistic director Adam Sklute. She has it all—the attributes of a modern ballerina and a physique that seems made for ballet. Perhaps more impressive for her young age (Sisk turned 21 this year): she has the “it-factor.” The grandeur of a true star from the golden era of ballet; a generous port-de-bras, a beaming smile and authority over the stage. She knows how to dose her efforts, when to be forceful and when to give, a true testament to a profound knowledge of her craft.

Equally, Calmels is a joy to watch. His face lights up with a boyish grin whenever he gets a chance to show off his virtuosity, while never once failing to support his partner. Both Calmels and Sisk have returned to their home companies in Salt Lake City and Chicago to continue Nutracker-runs until the end of the year. 

Festival Ballet Theatre welcomes more guest stars over the coming week, this time from New York City: the American Ballet Theatre sends Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky as well as Stella Abrera and Sasha Radetsky (some might recognize him from the movie “Center Stage”) who will perform during Christmas week.

Festival Ballet Theatre's production of "The Nutcracker" runs through December 24 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre & Cheng Hall in Orange County. Ticket availability is limited, and tickets are $35-$40. 

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