Little girls wearing dresses and shimmery bows in their hair waited with curious anticipation for Inland Pacific Ballet's annual production of "The Nutcracker" to begin.
Bridges Auditorium buzzed with excitement on Sunday afternoon as families hurried to find their seats. Children of all ages kept their eyes glued to the velvety red curtain, as if staring at it would help the Nutcracker doll and the Sugar Plum Fairy to materialize.
Then the house lights dimmed, the Tchaikovsky music began and the audience cheered. "The Nutcracker" had officially returned to the Inland Valley.
The curtains opened to a wintry scene where guests made their way to a holiday gathering at the Stahlbaum home. Inside, children played around a gigantic Christmas tree, adults mingled and shared in each other' merriment and the audience was introduced to Clara Stahlbaum, played on Sunday by Marina Fabila (there are two separate casts).

Marina, who has danced with IPB for the past four years, captured the spirit of the good-natured Clara with graceful movements, believable facial expressions and meaningful interactions with the other characters -- especially with Eric Shah's Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara's mysterious godfather figure.
Drosselmeyer entertains the children with performances by a few life-size dolls, including wind-up kissing dolls and a soldier doll. The kissing dolls, played by Anna Khalaj and Emma Storey, were a delight to watch. They embodied the mechanical dolls with stiff, robot-like movements, yet maintained gracefulness with each spin. Darrell Haire, who portrayed the soldier doll, wowed the audience with his athleticism and agility. Haire leaped and jumped across the stage effortlessly and turned at a dizzying speed.
The length of the party scene in Act One could have been shortened, but the pace quickened and the energy picked up with the battle between the toy soldiers and the Mouse King. The mice costumes were wonderful -- brown, furry and cute.
The real fun begins when Clara enters the Land of the Sweets. The Sugar Plum Fairy, portrayed beautifully by IPB senior principal dancer Kelly Lamoureux, welcomes Clara to this frothy fantasy land. A cavalier, played by resident guest artist Daniel Kirk, accompanies Clara in the second act, though it's not clear whether or not the Nutcracker doll has transforms into the cavalier/prince figure.

Act II unfolds with a colorful series of dances from faraway lands: Spanish dancers with fans, a romantic Arabian dance, a whimsical Chinese dance with paper umbrellas and an explosive Russian dance feature Haire and Shah, who leap, twirl and jump with great strength and energy. Small children danced as peppermint candies and bonbons -- the cutest part of the performance.
"The Nutcracker" ends with an elegant pas de deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and the cavalier. Lamoureux executed each movement with precision and grace, demonstrating astute control and balance. Her long legs (Lamoureux stands 6 foot 2 on point shoes) accentuated each arabesque and turn. She was supported by an equally graceful Kirk.
It seems like no holiday season is complete without "The Nutcracker." Inland Pacific Ballet's annual production offers audiences a colorful, romantic and whimsical experience whether it's your first or 21st.

--- Jennifer Cho Salaff can be reached by e-mail at:

jennifer.cho@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-9381.