For all those people who feel like it’s just not Christmas until you’ve seen The Nutcracker, here’s a round-up of performances happening all around Southern California.

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker by Miami City Ballet comes to the Music Center Thursday, December 7th with performances through December 10th. Joining the Miami City dancers will be students from The Colburn School in LA and The Gabriella Foundation’s local everybody dance! program. A holiday classic plus Balanchine’s iconic choreography!

See your favorite princes and fairies dance through a winter wonderland 350 feet above the city with American Contemporary Ballet. The company is making their production immersive in a raw space on the 32nd floor of the Bloc Tower in Downtown Los Angeles. Stay after the show to meet some of the dancers and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa. Productions run December 8th through 23rd.

American Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker”

Orange County balletomanes can catch American Ballet Theatre’s Nutcracker at Segerstrom Hall from December 7th through the 17th. This critically-acclaimed production brings together a cast of more than 100 performers, dazzling sets and costumes by Tony-winner Richard Hudson, and Tchaikovsky’s gorgeous music performed by the Pacific Symphony.

Festival Ballet Theatre brings The Nutcracker’s heroine Clara to the Irvine Barclay Theatre from December 9th through Christmas Eve. See exceptional young talent from throughout Southern California, joined by world-renowned guest artists from companies like San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and more.

In San Diego, you can see The Nutcracker at the Civic Theater in California Ballet’s glittering production. Before each show: red carpet photo ops. After some shows: meet the cast. Performances start December 9th and continue through the 23rd.

The Inland Pacific Ballet says their Nutcracker is “family entertainment at its best.” Catch performances at the Bridges Auditorium in Claremont on December 9th and 10th, at the Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga December 15th, 16th and 17th, and the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside December 22nd and 23rd.

State Street Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” | Photo by David Bazemore

State Street Ballet brings together its professional dancers, students of Gustafson Dance, and the Opera San Luis Obispo Orchestra for their production of The Nutcracker. See it December 16th and 17th at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara.

And the Opera San Luis Obispo Orchestra will also accompany Civic Ballet San Luis Obispo for their 40th anniversary Nutcracker at Harman Hall December 8th, 9th and 10th.