2008 Nutcracker by Peninsular Youth Ballet

The Peninsula Youth Ballet (PYB) will be presenting the holiday classic, the ?Nutcracker?, with performances held on November 29th and 30th and December 6th and 7th, 2008 at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center, 600 North Delaware St in San Mateo. Being rated as the second best performance in the Bay Area last year, the PYB-s Nutcracker has memorized local audiences for 18 years, showcasing award winning dancers from throughout the Bay Area in this traditional ballet. According to PYB president Frankie Briones, ?Choreographer Ayako Takahashi has the uncanny ability to mix professional dancers with amateurs, bringing out their strengths as performers and entertainers. She is constantly fine tuning each scene to augment each dancer-s abilities providing the audience with an amazing performance. At the end, the flying sleigh scene captivates everyone including the dancers. It is a tremendous scene.? The PYB-s Nutcracker was featured on KGO TV Ch. 7-s ?View from the Bay? and was rated as the second best Nutcracker in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Examiner. This year the Sugar Plum Fairy-s famous Pas de Deux will be danced by guest dancer Mariko Takahashi, one of the Oakland Ballet-s principal dancers, along with the Cavalier being performed by partner Jekyns Pelaez from Diablo Ballet (Nov. 29 & 30) and Formary Smuin from SF Ikolo Griffin (Dec. 6 & 7). Clara-s dream scene pas de deux will be danced by Maya Kelley, Mariko Ishikawa and Heather Ngai who will be partnering with Joseph Copley from Margaret Jenkins Dance Company and Alec Guthrie. Young Clara will be danced by Dominique Larose, Alanna Cummiskey and Ayla Lebovitz. Mariko Ishikawa, Dominique Larose, Alec Guthrie and Heather Ngai are students from Ayako School of Ballet, all of whom have taken first place positions in numerous dance competitions both regionally and nationally this past year. Rounding out the performance are two exquisite veteran dancers Carlos Venturo and Juan Pazmino who are both currently with professional ballet companies in the Bay Area. This is one Nutcracker you won-t want to miss. ?For the last 18 years, PYB has produced beautiful dancers who are still dancing professionally,? said Ayako Takahashi, PYB-s artistic director. ?I am always amazed at the immense talent that I have the opportunity to work with here on the Peninsula. These young women and men come alive on stage and use their talents to keep audiences enthralled year after year.? Shortly after each 2:00 pm matinee performance, children will be able to meet the characters from the ?Sugar Plum Kingdom? at ?Clara-s Tea Party?, which includes cookies, punch, a photo with a favorite character and a surprise gift.