Oakland Ballet Company (OBC) has announced its 60th anniversary season, opening with Luna Mexicana on November 1 followed by two presentations of Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker on December 20 and 21 at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland.
Established in 1965 by Oakland native Ronn Guidi and now led by Artistic Director Graham Lustig, Oakland Ballet Company (OBC) has built a distinguished reputation for reviving iconic works by celebrated choreographers such as Kurt Jooss, Michel Fokine, Charles Weidman, Antony Tudor, Eugene Loring, Ruthanna Boris, and Agnes de Mille. The company upholds this legacy by commissioning new works from a diverse array of choreographers, including Michael Lowe, Amy Seiwert, Phil Chan, Elaine Kudo, Natasha Adorlee, and Wei Wang, among others.
Under Lustig’s direction, the company’s repertoire and performance calendar has, over the last 15 years, expanded with a new production of The Nutcracker, as well as other annual programs including Luna Mexicana,celebrating Dia de los Muertos, the Dancing Moons Festival, celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and Rainbow Dances, a program for LGBTQ+ choreographers.
“For six decades, the Oakland Ballet Company has been boldly serving our community with cutting edge programming that uplifts our patrons with a positivity that only dance can provide,” said OBC Artistic Director Graham Lustig. “In our 60th anniversary program, we celebrate and honor the thousands of talented individuals who, over the past six decades, have enriched the company’s artistic profile and deepened our community engagement. Kudos to everyone involved!”
Luna Mexicana, a vibrant Bay Area Día de los Muertos celebration, blends exuberant dance, music, colorful costumes, flowers, candles, and food to honor family and community. Hosted by Oakland Ballet Company (OBC), this year’s program unfolds in two acts. Act I showcases OBC’s 60-year legacy with excerpts from works like Phil Chan’s Exquisite Corpse (solo), Ronn Guidi’s Soirée Musicale (ensemble), Bronislava Nijinska’s Les Biches (solo), Ron Theile’s How’d They Catch Me (trio), Marius Petipa’s Don Quixote (duet), Elaine Kudo’s Opposites Distract, and Carlos Carvajal’s The Crystal Slipper. Two pieces feature live music: Graham Lustig’s Faun, with Claude Debussy’s score performed by Chuan-Li Ko and Arturo Rodriguez, and Oaklandtown Blues, a song-and-dance medley with vocalist Valerie Troutt and the Oaktown Jazz Ensemble led by Ravi Abkarian.
Act II presents traditional Mexican folkloric dance by Ballet Folklórico Mexico Danza, live music by Mariachi Mexicanisimo, and OBC’s Luna Mexicana ballet. Following the performance, VIP ticketholders can enjoy wine and light refreshments on the Paramount Theatre’s mezzanine, followed by a catered dinner from Agave Uptown with OBC dancers, choreographers, and staff. The evening concludes with an auction to support OBC’s education programs.
Tickets from $35 – $97 are now on sale at oaklandballet.org/performances-events/luna-mexicana.
With musical accompaniment by the Oakland Symphony, conducted by Pamela Martin, alongside the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker brings the spirit of the holidays to life. This elegant production features art nouveau set design and costumes, and a cast of two dozen professional dancers as well as over 40 youth dancers, ages 7 to 17, in the roles of snowballs, mice, soldiers and candies.
Tickets from $35 – $166 are now on sale at oaklandballet.org/performances-events/graham-lustigs-the-nutcracker. With a $25 ticket add-on, patrons may join the company at a post-performance “Sweet Dreams Party,” including a banquet of sweet treats and photo opportunities with characters from The Nutcracker.
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