Inland Pacific Ballet returned to the Fox Performing Arts Center this weekend with its annual production of The Nutcracker, marking the company’s 31st year bringing the holiday classic to Riverside audiences. With a large professional cast, dozens of academy dancers, and a full orchestra of visual spectacle, the production once again transformed the Fox into a world of toy soldiers, swirling snow, enchanted creatures, and dreamlike fantasy.

This year’s performances carry particular significance with the appearance of Mira Nadon and Peter Walker, both principal dancers with the New York City Ballet, performing the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier. Nadon’s return to the Inland Empire is especially meaningful. A former Inland Pacific Ballet Academy student, she now stands among the most accomplished dancers in the world, making her appearance on the Fox stage feel both celebratory and deeply personal for the company and the community that helped shape her early training. Their pas de deux anchored Act Two with precision, musicality, and an ease that drew audible reactions from the audience.

Before the performance, IPB Director Aylin Elleni Cano addressed the audience, highlighting the company’s commitment to professional excellence and educational outreach. Over the past two weeks alone, Inland Pacific Ballet bused thousands of K–12 students from across the Inland Empire into the theater to learn how classical ballet and live performance are created. That emphasis on access and inspiration is reflected onstage, where academy dancers perform alongside seasoned professionals, creating a production that feels both polished and rooted in community.

Among the standout performances of Act One was Brandon J as Drosselmeyer. His portrayal leaned into the character’s theatrical mystery, guiding the story with a sense of playful control and narrative clarity. Drosselmeyer often serves as the hinge between reality and fantasy in The Nutcracker, and Brandon J embraced that role fully, grounding the early scenes while setting the stage for the dreamlike transformations that followed.

The snow scene remains one of the production’s most visually arresting moments. As snowflakes filled the stage, falling snow descended from above, creating a layered, immersive effect that drew gasps and applause. The combination of lighting, choreography, and stagecraft turned the Fox into a shimmering winter landscape, reinforcing why this sequence remains a defining moment of the ballet year after year.

Equally impressive was the Dragon Soloist sequence in Act Two, a moment that depends not only on the featured dancer but on the precision and coordination of the entire stage crew managing the dragon itself. The scale and movement of the creature require careful timing and teamwork, and the result was a dynamic performance that blended athleticism, theatrical illusion, and behind-the-scenes expertise. It served as a reminder that productions of this size succeed because of the many artists working beyond the spotlight.

Inland Pacific Ballet’s The Nutcracker continues to balance tradition with growth, honoring its long history while elevating the experience through world-class guest artists and ambitious staging. Tickets are still available for tonight’s 7:00 pm performance at the Fox Performing Arts Center, as well as tomorrow’s matinee, offering one more chance to experience this holiday classic in downtown Riverside.