The Nutcracker to be performed locally by the VCB

Professional dancer and Australian native, Aaron Smyth and State Street Ballet Profession, Kate Kadow to be featured in The Nutcracker

Ventura County Ballet Company (VCB) will be presenting “The Nutcracker” this holiday season featuring some of the most elite professionals across the country. This will be their 17th year of production.

Coming back for his fifth year, is international superstar Aaron Smyth who will be dancing along some of VCB’s most up and coming pre-professionals.

In addition, VCB’s commitment to provide performance opportunities to pre-professional dancers, the ballet company has announced three new scholarships to dancers based in part on financial need and artistic merit. The scholarships include Ronald Noblin, M.D. Scholarship, the Micheline Sakharoff Scholarship and the Melodie Kleiman, Esq. Scholarship. Scholarships will support performance opportunities in VCB’s 2015 production of “The Nutcracker.”  The scholarship program is funded this year due to generous contributions received after the recent passing of each above-named board member; however, funding has not yet been secured to ensure that scholarships can be offered each year in the future.

VCB will present “The Nutcracker” at 2 p.m. and 7p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21 and at 2 p.m. and on Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way, and again on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m., Dec. 5 at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. at the Ventura College Performing Arts Center, 4700 Loma Vista Rd.

Ticket can be purchased online at http://www.venturacountyballet.com.