California Ballet

It was fabulous! The dancing was so good! The shortened show with the piped in music made no difference in our enjoyment (there were 11 in our group). My granddaughter went to bed asking to see it again the next day:)

My wife and I attend our first ballet, Peter Pan put on by California Ballet. Well done production excellent dancers and some good comedic moments.

My granddaughter and I have gone 9 years in a row. I give 5 Stars because: 1. All the kids who are in the show and get to be in a real dance production! 2. The full Orchestra that year after year provides my favorite music! 3.

Not impressed. Was looking forward to beautiful ballet, but so many of the dancers had feet placement problems (shuffling, etc) and lift execution was so poor I thought several times that ballerinas would be dropped on their heads (guess it is called the 'nut'cracker!). The sugar plum fairy seemed to be the only dancer who knew what she was doing and she gave a good performance. Overall, a disappointing performance - thank goodness I got a good deal on the tickets or I would have been very upset to have paid full price for a mediocre performance.

The Nutcracker is always wonderful, and the SD ballet put on a great show this year. The kids were ADORABLE, and the leads danced beautifully. So glad my family and I could make it.

Music was well played and the ballet was well staged. The venue was fair. Layout of seating and lack of close up balcony space a disappointment.

Performance was good, staging was very good but dated a little. Kids had fun. The disappoint was the parking. It took 1 hour to get out the civic parking lot. Horrible, we were very late for dinner reservations. And they charge $18, for this lack for service. Needs to be fixed if I'm to return to civic performances.

I requested to attend this event with my family for my 70th birthday! It was a great way to celebrate. . Although I have seen many productions over a life time, I never tire of the wonderful music and the characters. I love symphonic music and was not disappointed. The dancers were outstanding and the children adorable. Loved the interactions of the various visiting families in the opening of the productions.

It was an amazing rendition of a holiday tradition. My wife and I will always remember it.

We have attended The Nutcracker each December since my daughter was a child, now more than 30 years ago.. Once we started going to the California Ballet version, we were home! We have tried the Spreckel's Theater version, the Russian version and some smaller ones, but the California Ballet is by far the best for us. Now with three grandchildren (it was the first performance for the youngest, (3), we still love the yearly tradition. The children performers are always wonderful (the little bonbons particularly) and the Principal Dancers have delighted us adults each year. California Ballet's stage set and costumes are the most authentic (as a German , this grandmother appreciates that). Thank you for being part of our Christmas season each year! Dr. A. Fechner

Beautiful and well performed by all including the Symphony. I was a little thrown by the rendition without the Nutcracker prince and Clara dancing...but awesome performances by all.

Amazing performance! The California Ballet Company is really impressive and the orchestra was wonderful too!

Excellent performance - very colorful and a delight to watch - especially the children who also did an excellent job and were so sweet to watch.

It was a cute performance, I went expecting something different. These are young dancers on average and overall they did well but I was biased by a professional performance I attended in Tokyo. Perhaps some homework on my part would have given me the proper expectations thus a different impression of the performance.

Seriously it was nice and I enjoyed it but was all that clapping necessary? It felt like I was surrounded by parents at a grade school play. Also I was disappointed that my favorite star was not in it this year

We had been looking forward to taking our daughters (3 and 5) to the Nutcracker for the first time. We all enjoyed the performance very much; the music as well as the dancing. The seats were comfortable and well located.

Amazing performance! Dancers, choreography, and orchestra were superb!

I have seen this show several times in my lifetime, at different venues, different dance teams... I have never been THIS disappointed. The only good thing about this show was the music, and the scenic backdrops, at least those lived up to what everyone knows about the Nutcracker. As for the dancing, it was far below the quality I would expect of the San Diego Civic Theatre. It seemed as if all the dancers were amateurs, there was no "wow factor", nothing special or pretty about their dancing moves. It was like they could only do the basic ballet techniques, and nothing that was visually stimulating was happening on stage, just simple bastardizations of what the Nutcracker usually is. Their costumes were horribly simple and uninteresting too, but I would have forgiven that for the dancing's sake.

The dancing was so beautiful! The theatre is gorgeous! Best Christmas gift ever!

The production was so-so. The dancers performed as expected but casting was questionable. There were several dancers who did not have lead roles but were more eye-catching in their execution and lines - I wish they had been cast in larger roles. Also, the male and female leads seemed to have little chemistry. The children, as always, were adorable.

Every year my daughter,daughter-in-law,and 2 granddaughters go to see this and it really was fantastic this year!!!!This is our 3rd year and it never gets old.Will be going again next year.

The dancers and costumes were incredibly beautiful and perfectly choreographed. I used to take my kids to the California Ballet version of the Nutcracker when they were growing up. This year to carry on the tradition I was able to take my son's family and my 8 year old grandson loved it.

Amazing. Outstanding performance. Great for all ages.

Lots of fun. Loved the growing Christmas tree. Clara was wonderful and so was the Snow Queen.

I have seen other schools perform The Nutcracker, and with the addition of a live, spectacular orchestra, California Ballet made for the best performance by far. An unforgettable experience.

This is the best Nutcracker in San Diego in the best venue with the best dancers and the best musicians. Spectacular!

I am a dancer a California Ballet School and the Perferming is amazing and i would recommend this to anyone.It is really great and i hope you buy tickets.

Anything Gatsby is a no-brainer for me! I applaud the directorship and performance for following the story line and touching upon the important themes covered in the novel - aspiration, a tragic love story, the exuberance of the Roaring Twenties, fashion of the era, music, and socio-economic class divide.

My granddaughter and I have gone 8 times now. The reasons we choose this particular production of The Nutcracker are: first, the dancers are mostly students and children which adds to the enchantment of our experience. Second, the San Diego Symphony generously plays for the performances. Having live music is so important in any production but especially for this one. The harpist is clearly visible from the loge seats and is amazing along with all the other musicians. The two main dancers were especially good this year (we went on the 17th, Chie Kudo and Sascha Radetsky) were the best we have seen. Their skill and timing with each other was amazing and he was able to lift her easily. They both made it look effortless. All the sets and costumes are the same and that is OK because they are beautiful. And, of course, the finale when the Toy Maker comes and throws his magic dust in the air to signify he created the entire dream for Clara is a beautiful moment!

The California Ballet's Production of The Nutcracker was a delightful evening. The dancers were enthusiastic and obviously enjoying the ballet. The costumes were very pretty and the sets were magical. As a person with a theatrical background, I would have liked to see better story-telling. There is so much music in the first act and sometimes it felt like a mime show rather than a ballet. There were some uncomfortable gaps in the music, and again with so much music in the score I didn't see the need for the conductor to actually stop the orchestra and wait for the next set of dancers. That could have been planned a little better. The lighting was serviceable but uninspired. The lights basically came on and stayed on for most of the ballet. With so many magical moments coming from the dancers the lighting could have helped tell the story rather than just be bright, white floods. The director should have tied up the story with the actual ending of Clara waking from her dream back in her own house. The ballet felt "un-ended" and with the extra-extra long bows section at the end felt more like a Parisian dance hall than a ballet. There was some rather uncalled for whopping and hollering coming from the audience. I hope someday that San Diego audiences will rise to the level of the performance. This was a ballet - not a rodeo.

The performance was beyod amazing. The costumes, dance performances, music and vocalists were all exceptional. Much better than the movie.

Everything was amazing. I always use ticket master to get tickets for concerts, plays etc and I can't complain.

My wife and myself enjoy coming to the San Diego Civic Theatre for the great performances of the California ballet company we are so grateful for the opportunity they give us two at 10 they do i my wife and myself enjoy coming to the San Diego Civic Theatre for the great performances of the California ballet company we are so grateful for the opportunity they give us two at attend These wonderful performances if you ve never come you re missing a fantastic time

This has got to be one of Cal Bal's best performances. The story was well played and the dancing had me with my mouth open. The costumes were gorgeous and the jazz band made the ballet twice as good (if that's even possible).

Amazing show and I will attend more California Ballet. Congratulations to all and thanks for a memorable time!!!!

The band, the dancers, the music, the costumes, the singer's we're all awesome. It even had our preteen daughters so intrigued. Must see!

Wonderful from start to finish! H A bit of Narration exactly where it s needed to clarify and keep it moving along. Staging, costumes, characters just perfect.

The first act was terrible ! The choreography was limp at best . The second act the dancing and choreography improved greatly but they rushed through the ending . Overall it was just an odd concept that was poorly executed.

This was a fun production. I had not seen a ballet to jazz music before and this one was done well. The dancers and their choreography were impressive. The overall show was lots of fun to see, including - the telling of the Gatsby story, the tap dancing, the jazz ensemble, the singing. Good job.

We made an "event" of the evening with four couples and even the men were impressed! The performers seemed to float across the stage and melt into each other while the precision of others was exciting and impressive! A fabulous performance and wonderfully surprising evening! Thank you!

A very entertaining evening. Music was great, dancing was of the highest quality. Costumes were perfect. A wonderful performance put on by the California Ballet.

The Great Gatsby was one of the best evening of ballet we have ever attended. The story, the dancing and the music were wonderful and I would go again if it comes to San Diego in the future.

Great play. Interesting adaptation, very nice venue.

Such a wonderful first time experience with my daughter! If you enjoy ballet, I highly recommend.

The nut cracker was a gift to my wife. She has been wanting to see this show for years and we finally had the opportunity to go. She loved the show from start to finish. As for me, even though it wasnt for me i have to say it was entertaining to watch. Definitely worth seeing at least once.

The most unforgettable presentation of the Nutcracker I have experienced! Costuming and sets were exquisite, and the San Diego Symphony was delightful!

Pretty bad. Just a bunch of people dancing around with no purpose.

My daughter loves ballets, and this was the perfect event for her first ballet.

We took our 6 year old granddaughter she loved it, it s a new family tradition

Amazing !!!!! It was increible for my daugther 5 years old !! Thank you

We attended the toddler friendly 60 minute performance which was perfect. My girls were interested the entire time. The dancers performed beautifully, what a wonderful show and way to kick off the Christmas season.

I realize there are a lot of options of shows over the holiday season but this is top of the list. There is something magical about seeing this show in the biggest venue in San Diego. They have a huge wonderful boutique to find the perfect souvenir. The dancing and story telling are great. The best in San Diego.

I took my daughter-in-law and eight year old granddaughter to the Nutcracker. What a special time we had watching this fabulous ballet with live music! My granddaughter was mesmerized throughout the event. We had great seats that were well worth the money.

beautiful dancing. breathtaking. clever choreography. graceful, beautiful and strong female dancers. powerful male dancers.

Attended at short notice having only discovered the performance was on 48 hours previously. In short - a great production. Very competent dancers and high technical standards. As a small regional company, CBC should be very proud. The standing ovation was well-deserved. Pity about no orchestra but I think most people would appreciate that that would put the ticket prices out of virtually everyone's reach.

California Ballet Company s Swan Lake was a beautiful production! The dancing was breathtaking!

We had great seats in the front. It was a different experience viewing from this angle. Would highly recommend. At gave us a better appreciation for the performers. The show was entertaining. We liked how they changed the ending to a happy one.

Above the beautiful music we know and love, the performances were stellar. I felt was in New York or London..

I thought the dancing was terrific. The sets were well done and clever. The sound track sounded tinny and seemed to have some noise embedded.

An excellent performance of this classic Ballet. The principal dancers were very good. The scenario was well done.

My first time seeing Swan Lake. I loved every minute of it too

I went to see the 1st performance last weekend. (10/28/17). Overall good, but the principal male dancer who played the Prince (T Merrick) lacked emotion, personality and there were several mistakes in Acts III and IV. (Incomplete turns in the air that made him land off center). However, Zachary Guthier, who performed on the Pas de Trois performed extremely well. He showed strength in every move, confidence and a lot of personality throughout the different sections of the Swan lake. Would have loved to see him play the Prince :). I was disappointed in the end, since he was not there to receive the audience's applause and standing ovations. He deserved as much credit as the Principal dancers. The choreography was exquisite, as were the costumes / wardrobe. I was expecting a live orchestra, this was my first time in this venue so now I know it is not part of the show :(.

This was a wonderful ballet. The dancers, music, and set brought the story of Peter Pan to life. We really enjoyed the production!

My granddaughter and I were thrilled to see Peter Pan, Wendy and the boys fly. The crocodile was a special treat. And we got to meet Capt Hook before the performance. A perfect treat for both of us!

Wonderful interpretation of the classic story. A great way to introduce my11 year old niece to ballet and the creative use of other dance forms. The humor was infectious. She and I both loved the performance.

Awesome!! Highly Recommended! A very fun show for all ages. :)

I loved it! It was my first time ever going to a ballet performance and Im extremely glad it was with California Ballet. If I could watch it over and over again I would. Amazing work. Pricing is very reasonable to the work and effort they put.

Wonderful stage & beautiful dancing! The costumes were perfect. The "flying " was so fun to see. Great dancing and acting!!

I came here with a few friends as a special Holiday Treat. A Christmas gift to my co-workers. I loved the show, the music, costumes, the dancing. The show itself was five stars. The reason why the review is not five stars is because of the extremely rude service we received when we were checking in. I had printed out the tickets to hand out to my coworkers since we were all arriving separately. The guy who helped us check in was extremely rude, with tons of attitude. I guess the paper copies were difficult to use. He took my ID and told me he had to do some research. To help, I pulled up the email copies on my phone to make it easier. Another woman was able to help us with those almost immediately. I asked her if she could get my ID back. The other guy was practically refusing to give it back to me. The woman who helped us looked a little surprised or shocked at his attitude. As we were walking into the show, that guy was standing there waiting to hand me back the paper tickets. He left me with a snarky comment, "here, these will make your life so much easier." I did not understand his attitude or disdain. Im sorry if the paper copies were not ideal. That shouldn't be an excuse to be mean to someone. His attitude tainted the overall experience. He should not be in customer service.

The performance of the ballet troupe was great, very enjoyable. But the SD Symphony was not miked loud enough. Maybe the house sound system is lacking or maybe they just needed to turn it up a notch. From the Mezzanine 2nd row it felt like we were outside the performance rather than immersed in the beautiful sound of the Music/Ballet.

Colorful and mesmerizing. Enjoyable for the entire family.

It is a very well executed performance of the nutcracker, not a professional level but they have great setting on stage, it is well balanced and the do know how to use the space, the music was live, but it sounded sooo low it was hard to hear.

Nicely done California Ballet! Bravo!!! It was an incredible show.

The dancing was lovely; I have no complaint with the performance or the dancers. But two things really got to me. The first was that the music volume was tuned down so low I could hear the slap of the dancers' shoes in the floor. The music is a huge part of "The Nutcracker Suite" and for me, hardly being able to hear the music was a huge disappointment. My daughter's five year old friend who came with us even asked why there was no music. I imagine this was in part due to the fact that music could be too loud for toddlers, or so parents and kids could communicate easier if needed. But still, a huge disappointment to have the music so low. The second thing that bothered me was the number of adults who were talking. I expected there to be a certain level of noise being that it was a show specifically for small children, and the murmurs and screams from them was acceptable. However, there were two men seated behind me who carried on in conversation about their lives for at least fiftenn minutes (until someone seated closer to them asked them to shut it). There was a woman seated behind my friend who narrated the whole show to her children in a very loud voice. It was very annoying to experience adults being so loud and disrespectful to the performers and the rest of the audience. My daughter is now six and this is her second year seeing this show, and since she loves the performance and can easily sit through it we aren't likely to attend the toddler show next year. I would recommend this showing, however, to certain friends I have whose children are younger or unable to sit through a longer performance.

This is perfect not just for toddlers but for special needs kids. I took my ASD 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter to this event. One hour performance was jus the right length. The only thing that would have made it better was a live orchestra instead of recorded music.

I was searching for a child production of Nutcracker to take my 3 1/2 year old grand daughter to in the San Diego area when I ran across this Toddler friendly production by the California Ballet. It was the perfect holiday event to share with my daughters and grand daughter! The production was shortened to 60 minutes and there was recorded music instead of a live orchestra but the quality of the set design, costumes, and most importantly the dancing was beautiful and a delight to all of the children. Considering at least half of the audience was under 3 ft, you could have heard a pin drop when the curtains lifted and the ballet began. The applause was generous by those little hands and the faces of the children priceless. The program provided the story so my little one was able to understand the what was going on.

I have always wanted to see the show and it took me 25 years to see it again. However, obtaining tickets were challenging because I had to figure out how to print tickets. I have iphone but the person I spoke with told me I have to print it out, they will not honor an email on iphone. Once the show started, within 5 minutes, the dancer slipped and fall down. I immediately lost interest. I did not pay a lot of money to see the dancer fall down on the stage, how unprofessional is that! Since we were sitting about the middle, we could not walk out so we stayed. We were ready to go home and found my parking fee was $22! What a waste of my time, money and energy to find my 25 years of wish to see the show. I will never go back again.

we had somewhat fun, we had poor view to the show. we don't recommend this show

Excellent. Funny and artistically perfect. Loved every moment. Corp de ballet superb. Loved the snobby party Mum.

This ballet exceeded my expectations and my family especially my children who saw it for the first time to be mesmerized by the talent and professional display of costume and sceneries.

This production was an absolute joy to watch. The music was excellent and the venue was perfect.

Absolutely awesome performance. This is the 2nd year I've taken my 6 year old daughter- and her eyes light up. She still hasn't stopped talking about it!

The costumes and dancers were spectacular. Such soft colors and beautiful dancers. Amazing performance.

This production of The Nutcracker was outstanding in so many ways. The live symphony set the tone for the lovely, festive atmosphere in the auditorium. The dancers, the costumes, the sets were all breathtakingly beautiful. The young girl who played Clara did an incredible job of setting the stage for a fun, whimsical story to unfold; her expressiveness, beautiful composure and wonderful dancing were pleasing to watch. The Sugar Plum Fairy was fabulous and breathtaking to watch while the Dew Drop Fairy looked absolutely effortless in all of her dances and I only wish her solos were longer. Bravo to California Ballet!

The young Clara falls into dreamland and awakens to witnesses the dual- and then magically reawakens at home and the end of the show. I may have missed several transitions but even my girlfriend thought the final act to be too short and abbreviated- as if something was missing. It seemed even the Audience was left wondering - while it was a good performance we did notice that none of the patron were providing a standing applause to the performers. This might have been an error on the choreography- as there were several instances where between acts/ transitions the performers stopped and bowed on stage. It was just an evening of weird transitions confusing an otherwise solid performance.

The show was ok with a bit of a different ending for performance's of the Nutcracker we have seen.

Simply amazing. The dancers were graceful, the music was performed perfectly, and the choreography blended the two magically. Simply an amazing show.

Well done performance. The only part I'd change is to tone down the lights from the mouse/soldier fight. I had to look away because it was bothering my eyes

Great event. Kid friendly matinee. We try to go every year. So much fun to get dressed up and enjoy the show.

We had a wonderful evening. The principal dancers were incredible. We loved the sets, the costumes - everything was so professional. We have gone to the Nutcracker every Christmas for about 25 years and this performance was one of the best.

The show was amazing! From the vivid and well crafted costumes to the outstanding talent on the stage, it was truly a heartfelt and spectacular performance! I was especially impressed with the young men performing as the Russian dancers. Simply outstanding! This was even better than the performance of The Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center in DC as a child. Bravo!

Totally a fun combination of grace, strength and beauty.

This performance felt a bit reminiscent of seeing a school performance of the Nutcracker. It wasn't great. There were visible mistakes and it was plainly lackluster. The symphony was wonderful and most certainly the best part. I think we were expecting a bit more for $65 tickets. Had we paid significantly less it would have been fine I suppose.

What a wonderful night for children of all ages! There is something for everyone in this performance. From the Mouse king and his soldiers, to the Russian dancers and the beautiful ballerinas! We plan on making it a family tradition!

My granddaughter actually asked me to take her to the show this year. Usually she rolls her eyes and tolerates it. I thought to myself "GOTCHA"!

It was really nice to take our children to this event. A wonderful experience for a family.

One can't go wrong with the San Diego Symphony performing the Nutcraker and the dancing was every bit enjoyable. The production suffered I suppose from a lackluster budget as the digital tree was lame. Hats off to a solid dance group who made Act 2 very enjoyable. Overall, this does not compare with the top notch productions seen in larger cities.

Yet again the California Ballet's The Nutcracker lives up to our expectations. The costumes were very nice, as was the scenery. The dancers were wonderful and this was a great start to the Christmas time.

My wife and I attended the afternoon performance of The Nutcracker. We enjoyed this rendition of the ballet. The dancers were a cut above what we expected. It was an overall delight to watch. I would recommend it to all.

I've taken my daughter to 'The Nutcracker' twice in her early years and really enjoyed it. We were excited to see it again after a 15 year gap. The set was dull and boring and nothing about the performance impressed us in the first act. Act 2 was wonderful however and thankfully we were able to leave the theater with smiles on our faces and not regretting our decision to experience it once again.