produced by CHRISTINA CAMPODONICO

“The Nutcracker” is a holiday staple for ballet companies across the country. It tells the story of a young girl named Clara, who goes to a magical land with her Nutcracker prince on Christmas Eve. From professional companies to local dance studios, each production interprets Tchaikovsky’s iconic score and the young girl’s journey differently. Christina Campodonico talked with Katherine Cowgill, the Ballet Mistress of Los Angeles Ballet, about her interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Snow Flakes,” when Clara travels through the Land of Snow to the Palace of the Dolls.

& EXTRA

Los Angeles Ballet will open their rendition of the “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 6 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. The company will tour across Southern California through December 28.

[Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Op. 71: X Waltz of the Snowflakes]

[Photo Caption: Los Angeles Ballet Ensemble in “The Nutcracker”; Photo by Reed Hutchinson]