Contra Costa Ballet's

The Nutcracker

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Friday, November 25 - Sunday, November, 27, 2022

Lesher Center for the Arts

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Celebrating 33 years of Contra Costa Ballet's The Nutcracker! This beloved holiday production opened the Lesher Center for the Arts' inaugural season in 1990 and has become a treasured Walnut Creek tradition. Richard Cammack and Zola Dishong, Contra Costa Ballet's artistic directors for over thirty years, created the East Bay's first Nutcracker in an original and innovative, family-friendly, hour-long format that inspired many regional companies to follow.  Please see the history of this beloved classic below.

 

Contra Costa Ballet's Spring Repertory

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Sleeping Beauty

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Friday, May 12 - Saturday, May 13, 2023

Lesher Center for the Arts

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Annual Fundraiser - TBD

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Contra Costa Ballet Foundation’s annual fundraiser - Bubbles & Ballet - to be decided.

Proceeds from ticket sales and silent auction fundraiser benefit Contra Costa Ballet Foundation.

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The History of Contra Costa Ballet's The Nutcracker 

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Beginning with studio performances and no budget for a complete Nutcracker, Cammack and Dishong adopted the "add a pearl" concept, starting with a much smaller cast than today's and adding variations and costumes yearly.

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Cal Anderson, the talented graphic and scenic designer who designed several ballets for San Francisco Ballet, including the iconic "Pop Art" ballet choreographed by Lew Christensen, joined the team to create the first version to be performed at the opening of the Lesher Center for the Arts. Originally narrated, the production evolved to stand on its own with developed choreography, strong dancers and stunning costumes.

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Over the past three decades, thousands of students, professional guest artists from the Greater Bay Area and beyond, production staff, instructors, ballet masters, and supportive board members participated in making Contra Costa Ballet's The Nutcracker the beloved tradition that continues today.