With the holiday season in full swing, one will find numerous renditions of The Nutcracker in their area for their own enjoyment. Here in the Los Angeles area, we had last week’s coverage of American Ballet Theatre but now I would love to put a spotlight on Pasadena Dance Theatre with their fresh and imaginative production of this timeless Tchaikovsky classic coming to the historic San Gabriel Mission Playhouse on December 20 and 21, 2025.
Being a resident in the San Gabriel area, I was privy to noticing this production of The Nutcracker not too long after I covered the one for American Ballet Theatre. For those who may not be familiar, Pasadena Dance Theatre is a tremendous staple in the dance community for the Los Angeles region that thrives on their passion and commitment to the art of dance. And under the artistic direction of Artistic & Conservatory Director Ashleigh Doede and choreographer Jessamyn Vedro, I am most ecstatic to be checking out this rendition.
This year’s production unveils updated costumes, reimagined scenes, and inspired twists on familiar roles, celebrating the power of collaboration and global connection. Featuring a cast of more than 50 dancers, including professional guest dancers, including professional guest artists, advanced Conservatory students, and youth performers, highlights the extraordinary range of talent within the Pasadena Dance Theatre community. Leading roles will be performed by acclaimed artists Elise Holmes as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Lester Gonzalez as the Cavalier, alongside returning alumni and Conservatory dancers who embody Pasadena Dance Theatre’s ongoing legacy of excellence.
Like our feature with American Ballet Theatre, we love to spotlight the global majority talent that are up front and center and here we have Lester Gonzalez who will be the Cavalier! He graduated from the National Ballet School of Havana, Cuba. In 2011, he joined Ballet Laura Alonso as a company dancer, and later emigrated to the United States. He has performed diverse roles from the classical and contemporary repertoire, including lead roles in Septime Webre’s The Great Gatsby and Fluctuating Hemlines. With Ballet San Antonio, he performed as Romeo in Edwaard Liang’s Romeo and Juliet.
He has been featured in productions with the San Diego Opera, Arizona Opera, and the Los Angeles Opera. A former company dancer with the Dayton Ballet, in 2023 he made his musical theater debut in the North American tour of Anastasia, and was one of 16 dancers to be selected for the National Choreographers Initiative program. Lester is the co-founder of Pas De Deux Workshops & Coaching.
Performances will continue Pasadena Dance Theatre’s legacy as a cornerstone of the region’s
cultural calendar while supporting the organization’s year-round work nurturing the next generation of dancers.
The Nutcracker will play on December 20 and 21, 2025 at the San Gabriel Mission
Playhouse (320 S Mission Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776). Performance schedule is Saturday,
December 20 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 21 at 12:00 p.m. and 5:00
p.m. Tickets for the regular performances start at $28 and are available at
PasadenaDanceTheatre.org. Clara’s Dream: A Gala for Pasadena Dance Theatre will be
held on Friday, December 19 at 6:00 p.m.
A community performance will take place on Friday, December 19, at 10:00 a.m., reserved
for community groups: field trips for schools, homeschool groups, preschoolers with caregivers, and/or audiences experiencing financial insecurity. Groups must purchase at least four tickets.
For groups over 50 or to pay by check, call (626) 683-3459 or reach out via email to
pasadenadancepdt@gmail.com and ashleigh.doede@pasadenadadancetheatre.org.
