The Santa Barbara Festival Ballet brings the magic of the holiday season to the community with the 49th anniversary of “The Nutcracker” at the Arlington Theatre.

This year’s production of the holiday classic blends the elegance of Tchaikovsky’s cherished score with a fresh, modern energy and visual brilliance, the Festival Ballet said.
 
Internationally renowned guest artists Alexandra Hutchinson and Kouadio Davis, both from the Dance Theatre of Harlem, will display their skill and artistry in concert with the music of the Santa Barbara Symphony, conducted by Elise Unruh. 

Hutchinson, oroginally from Wilmington, Delaware, began her dance training at the Washington School of Ballet and the Wilmington Academy of Dance. She attended summer intensives with renowned institutions such as Alvin Ailey and Carolina Ballet, and earned a B.S. from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

Currently in her fourth season with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Hutchinson’s repertoire includes works by choreographers Standon Welch, George Balanchine, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.
 
Davis, originally from Oneonta, New York, trained at the Holbrook-Wade School of Dance and Fokine Ballet, and attended the New York State Summer School of the Arts. His training includes Alvin Ailey, Nutmeg Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, and Alonzo King Lines.

A 2019 graduate of Ellison Ballet, Davis achieved recognition at the Youth America Grand Prix, where he and his partner earned second place in 2017 and first place in the contemporary Pas de Deux category in 2018. He is now in his third season with the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
 
Tickets are available. Performances are 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m Dec. 14, and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15. Visit Santa Barbara Festival Ballet’s website for more details and to buy tickets.