The BroadStage in Santa Monica played host to Westside Ballet’s celebration of The Nutcracker this past weekend, with another set of performances already sold out for this Saturday and Sunday. The rapid demand for the shows has the ballet company offering a free Vimeo and YouTube link to the performances, giving the community a chance to watch the iconic dance piece on their big screens during the holidays. In addition, local veterans and members of local charities and organizations will be treated to a free performance of Nutcracker on Friday evening.
Always a popular production, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Westside’s Nutcracker shows. To celebrate the occasion, the ballet company reached out to three alumni to take center stage as the Sugar Plum Fairy character, those being now-professional dancers Tiler Peck, Lucia Connolly and Lyrica Woodruff.
“As we celebrate Westside Ballet’s remarkable 50th anniversary production, we honor our legacy through the exceptional artistry of our star alumni,” said Producer and Westside Ballet President Judith Meister. “This year’s Nutcracker [is] an unforgettable journey into the enchanting world of dance, art, and magic, blending the spirit of tradition with the brilliance of our talented performers.”
Peck’s involvement in the Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 performances caused quite the stir in the local arts community, as the dancers’ shows sold out weeks in advance. Studying under Westside co-founder Yvonne Mounsey as a youth, Peck rose the ballerina ranks to become a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, and is known as one of the country’s leading ballerinas.
The addition of Connolly and Woodruff to the cast was also a boon for the anniversary shows. Both also grew under Mounsey’s leadership before securing professional roles, as Connolly has been performing as a company artist with the Joffrey Ballet since 2016, dancing in both classic and contemporary works. Woodruff’s ballet career took her from Nutcracker all the way to Broadway’s Anastasia, and the dancer won the prestigious Chita Rivera Award for her Broadway exploits.
The duo were both inspired by their older sisters to dance, quickly growing fond of the teachers at Westside.
“I just wanted to be like my sister, and I think my mom didn’t want to drive me to a different activity, so I just started doing ballet,” Connolly said with a laugh. “[Woodruff] and my sister grew up in the same level and grew up very good friends, so I’ve known [her] since eight years old [or] even earlier. Once I joined Westside, I realized actually how much I love to dance and how much it meant to me that I could go somewhere every week where all my friends were, and that was really special.”
Woodruff was quite literally born into the art form, as her mother took her straight to the hospital after her birth to pick up her sister from a Westside class. She credited her training at Westside for her path towards professional ballet and theater, and said “it always feels like coming home” when she stops in Santa Monica.
Westside Ballet Resident Guest Artist Evan Swenson, pre-professional dancer Eema Kaye and special guest alumna Lyrica Woodruff wait in the wings for their 50th annual Nutcracker performance. (Photo by Anne Slattery) 
Young talent Spencer Collins, age 10, performs the Russian Solo to a thunderous applause at the BroadStage for Westside Ballet’s 50th Nutcracker performance. Spencer recently won the Hope Award for the YAGP Semi Finals in Los Angeles. (Photo by Anne Slattery) 
Professional dancers and Los Angeles natives Lucia Connolly and Lyrica Woodruff prepare to perform as the lead roles of Sugar Plum Fairy and Dew Drop Fairy in their alma mater Westside Ballet’s 50th annual Nutcracker performance. (Photo by Anne Slattery) 
Broadway sensation Lyrica Woodruff and professional dancer Mate Szentes of the Hungarian National Ballet perform as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier at the BroadStage in Santa Monica over Thanksgiving weekend. (Photo by Anne Slattery)
“My whole existence [I was] at Westside all day, every day, and I fell in love with it from the time I was two,” she noted. “And by the time I was nine or 10, I basically decided this is what I want to do forever. You really do have to figure it out early because it … takes up so much of your time and dedication and sacrifice that if you haven’t made the decision [early], it’s too late.”
Both have fond memories of Nutcracker performances, with Connolly stating that the choreography hasn’t changed much, and neither has the nostalgic feeling of returning to Santa Monica for the anniversary show.
“I just really have so many memories of doing Nutcracker, so it’s pretty amazing to come back … it’s very unusual that you will have any sort of community in your life that will be consistent from when you’re like five to 16 or 17,” she said. “The teachers here really saw me grow up … it’s pretty amazing that this community still exists and I still get to be a part of it.”
Those same teachers are now working with the next generation of great dancers, including Brentwood School 9th grader Eema Kaye, who stepped into principal roles for the 2023 edition of Nutcracker. Stating that the roles of Lead Mirliton and Snow Queen made her “reach out of [her] comfort zone,” she’s been grateful for the opportunity and for her teaching at Westside.
“It’s such a community, everyone’s so sweet and caring, and all the teachers are so welcoming … I remember when I was younger, I was so inspired by the older girls doing principal roles, and now it’s a dream come true to be able to do those roles, and maybe inspire younger girls in my same position,” Kaye said.
Joining the 2023 Nutcracker cast was Overland Elementary School 5th grader Spencer Collins, who thought the transition to Westside last year was “perfect” for him.
“[The teachers] were able to match technique with … tricks and things that can help me improve … what I can do, like variations and repertoire,” Collins said. “So it was definitely a good change that I had coming to Westside.”
Meeting with the new crop of dancers during rehearsals, the guest alumni preached sticking with ballet for as long as possible, and that hard work in the art form can maximize the youths’ considerable talents.
“I think it’s the same advice for literally anything that you do in life, which is [that] talent is important, but what is actually the thing that’s gonna set you apart from anyone else in anything that you do is just perseverance,” Connolly said. “If you do it long enough, and do it hard enough, that’s really the most important thing … I would just say if you want to do it, just go for it.”
For more information on how to watch the 2023 Nutcracker performances, visit westsideballet.com/nutcracker/
thomas@smdp.com
