On December 9-11, 2011, several international dancers will join Riverside-based professional ballet company, California Riverside Ballet, for its 32nd annual production of The Nutcracker.

Nineteen-year-old Jorge Alberto Larrazola Reynoso of Mexico City, Mexico, began studying ballet at the age of seven. One of Mexico’s most promising young dancers, Jorge entered the National School of Classical and Contemporary Dance at age 10 and won a scholarship to the Miami City Ballet in 2008. Jorge has also studied and performed at the National School of Cuba and in Cordoba, Argentina. Jorge will dance the roll of the Soldier Doll in California Riverside Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

Sebastien Marcovici was born and raised in Paris, France and began studying ballet at the age of eight. At age 12, Sebastien entered the School of the Paris Opera Ballet and was soon discovered and invited to take Company class with the New York City Ballet. In 1993, he was invited to join the NYCB corps de ballet and has since ascended to the rank of principal dancer. Sebastien will take the stage as Cavalier in California Riverside Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

CRB Artistic Director, Mario Nugara, is regarded as a teacher of unparalleled talent in the Los Angeles area. Mario has danced professionally with the Boston Ballet, Fort Worth Ballet and has studied in Copenhagen, Denmark in conjunction with the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Danish Ballet. Mario has also taught at the Culberb Ballet, Ballet of Academy of Stockholm, Sweden, and at the New Danish Dance Theatre in addition to appearing on Broadway with Rudolph Nureyev.

Internationally acclaimed Pianist, Conductor and CRB Music Director Scott Dunn, will lead a live orchestra during each performance. Scott is the Associate Conductor of the LA Philharmonic’s Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and has appeared at the New York City Opera, Orchestre National de France, North Carolina Symphony as well as many other venues world-wide. The California Riverside Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker is one of the few in the LA area accompanied by a live orchestra.

Additional distinguishing factors that set CRB’s production of The Nutcracker apart from others are its all professional cast of adult dancers, the state-of-the-art high definition digital set and snow that will fall on the audience during all performances.

CRB’s The Nutcracker will prove to be the most magical and enchanting in the area.