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Best Places To See Ballet In Orange County

ballet
(credit: istockphoto)

From professional productions to local companies offering recitals for both seasoned and new dancers to perform in front of live audiences, Orange County is home to several excellent venues for ballet and dance. With so many options out there, we've put together a list of the best places to see ballet in Orange County to help you narrow it down!

Ballerinas on Stage
(credit: Thinkstock)

Segerstrom Center for the Arts
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 556-2121
www.scfta.org

One of Orange County's premier destinations for professional dance productions is the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. World-class productions are available at various times throughout the year. The next major production hosted at the Center is the Mariinsky Ballet, which will be appearing from October 2 to October 7, 2012. Showtimes and prices vary. Along with ballet performances, this center provides educational programs to inspire youth activity in the arts.

Maple Conservatory of Dance
(credit: Maple Conservatory of Dance/Facebook)

Maple Conservatory of Dance
1824 Kaiser Ave
Irvine, CA 92614
(949) 660-9930
mapleconservatory.com

The Maple Conservatory of Dance offers programs based on the American Ballet Theater National Training Curriculum for students interested in preparing for a career in dance. The Conservatory has a summer intensive program that will run for eight weeks from June 25 to August 17, 2012. The summer intensive program is for dancers ages eight to 24. The Conservatory also provides performance opportunities for young dancers through its Maple Youth Ballet program.

Ballerinas in Motion
(credit: Thinkstock)

Anaheim Ballet
280 E Lincoln Ave
Anaheim, CA 92805
(714) 520-0904
anaheimballet.org

The Anaheim Ballet is another excellent local company that offers a great venue to see live ballet. Their mission is to enlighten and entertain audiences with classically rooted programming and contemporary presentations while providing only the best performances. As one of the leading ballet venues, Anaheim Ballet also received the honor of being proclaimed the resident ballet company of Anaheim by the city council. The venue has live performances year round including The Nutcracker during the holidays which is excellent.

Ballet
(credit: Thinkstock)

Orange County Dance Center
16161 Springdale St
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
(714) 846-0215
orangecountydancecenter.com

In addition to providing dance classes, the Orange County Dance Center supports the Ballet Repertory Theater. The Repertory Theater has brought ballet to the community for more than 35 years, performing three different classical ballets throughout the year. Their annual presentation of "The Nutcracker" offers younger dancers the opportunity to dance before a live audience.

Festival Ballet
(credit: festivalballet.org)

Festival Ballet Theater
9527 Garfield Ave
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 962-5440
festivalballet.org

The Festival Ballet Theater is fortunate to have Salwa Rizkalla as its Artistic Director. As a classical ballet dancer, Miss Rizkalla has trained with some of the world's most renowned choreographers. The theater offers many events although one of the highlights is 'The Nutcracker' and more.

Southland Ballet Academy at Irvine Barclay Theate
(credit: thebarclay.org)

Irvine Barclay Theater
4199 Campus Drive, Suite 680
Irvine, CA 92612-2751
(949) 854-4607
thebarclay.org

Since opening its doors in 1990, The Irvine Barclay Theater has become one of Orange County's most imaginative performing arts venues. The Theater has a reputation for wide-ranging programming in the fields of contemporary dance, music and theater arts. In addition, it not only serves as a venue for local dance companies, but also national and international dance companies. While the theater is comparatively small with only 750 seats, it provides an intimate venue for a variety of events.

Terry Ambrose is a freelance and mystery writer living in Vista. His work can be found at Examiner.com.

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