IN THE PRESS

2023

Aliso Laguna News
Festival Ballet Theatre – The Nutcracker

Los Cerritos News
‘Nutcracker for Kids’ and a Full-Length ‘Nutcracker’ Hearken the Holiday Season

Riviera Magazine
Calendar Listing

2022

South County Magazine

Nutcracker 2022 – South County Magazine

Balancing the Chaos
Win Tickets: Festival Ballet Theatre Presents The Nutcracker

The Signal – Santa Clarita Valley
Holiday Entertainment

Sandy Toes and Popsicles
Nutcracker Performances in Orange County 2022

2021

KTLA News
‘The Nutcracker’ Delights Families

Irvine Weekly
Irvine Barclay Presents The Nutcracker with Festival Ballet Theatre

Voice of OC
‘The Nutcracker’ Holiday Dance Tradition Returns to Orange County

Voice of OC
Local Arts Groups Get Creative and Prepare for a Post-COVID World

2020

Voice of OC
A Winter Without ‘Nutcracker’ Strikes a Hot to Companies and Dancers

Voice of OC
Ways to Celebrate the Holiday Season in the Year of Coronavirus

2019

Hauntlet Media
Festival Ballet Theatre’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Balitang America
Fil-Am Dancer Sami Santos Plays ‘Clara’ in Festival Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Asian Journal
Young Fil-Am ballerina dances lead role in  Irvine Barclay Theatre’s ‘The Nutcracker’

2018

Orange County Register
OC ballet theater opens 30th season

Voice of OC
“Why can’t ballet be the new hip-hop?”

LA Times/Daily Pilot
Festival Ballet Theatre kicks off 2018-19 season with ‘Ovation’

Mission Viejo News
Festival Ballet Performs “Ovation” Performance At Irvine Barclay Theatre October 13-14

LA Times/Daily Pilot
Gala of the Stars benefits Festival Ballet Theatre

Critical Dance

YAGP 2018: The Final Round

2017

Orange County Register
Most Influential 2017: Meet the 100 top influencers in Orange County

Orange County Register
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Champion Lex Ishimoto Returns Home to Irvine to Dance ‘The Nutcracker’

New University
Festival Ballet Theatre Presents The Holiday Classic, “The Nutcracker”

Let’s Play OC
Festival Ballet Theatre NUTCRACKER Irvine Barclay Theatre 12/9-12/24

Los Angeles Times Orange County
A Holiday Ballet Tradition Returns to two Orange County Stages

Orange County Register
12 Top-Tier Productions of ‘The Nutcracker’ You Can See in Southern California

Orange County Register
Start Your Holiday With Shopping at the Library and a Performance of “The Nutcracker”

Broadway World
Dazzling Dancers, Gallant Prince, and Stunning Sugar Plum Fairy Make Spirits Bright For Pacific Symphony’s NUTCRACKER FOR KIDS

Coast Magazine
Dance All Night: An August Calendar Feature

Orange Coast Magazine
Entertaining OC Events in August

Newport Beach Lifestyle Magazine
Around Town : The Best in Ballet

Orange County Register
Festival Ballet Theatre’s ‘Don Quixote’ opens with American Ballet Theatre stars at helm

LA Times/Daily Pilot
Festival Ballet Theatre lures ABT stars to O.C. for ‘Don Quixote’

LA Times/Daily Pilot
Students from CdM and H.B. among finalists in Music Center program

Irvine City News
Top 10 Things To Do In Irvine In March

PBS SoCal
Festival Ballet Theatre presents Don Quixote

Broadway World
International Ballet Stars In Don Quixote At The Irvine Barclay Theatre

2016

Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz Blog
The Nutcracker Takes Over Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz

Orange Coast Magazine
All the “The Nutcracker” Ballet Performances in Orange County

Modern Luxury Orange County
A Christmas Story

Orange County Register
‘Secret Garden’ aims to make a contemporary ballet classic

Coast Magazine
Ballet at the Barclay

Orange County Register
Southland students dance to inspire at Festival of Children

Orange County Register
Orange County’s Festival Ballet Theatre brings in dance stars for ‘The Sleeping Beauty’

2015

Orange County Register
Festival Ballet Theatre’s ‘Nutcracker’ is a homecoming for pro dancers

LA Times
Where to find ‘The Nutcracker’ in Southern California

Orange Coast Magazine
We Got Yer ‘Nutcrackers’

Hopscotch & Jellybeans
The day I took my 3 boys to the Ballet

Balancing the Chaos
Le Corsaire Suite and Mixed Repertoire at Irvine Barclay Theatre

Newport Beach Indy
Artscapes: A Duo of Emotional Dance Concerts

Orange County Register
Southland’s Summer Intensive Students Learn From The Best

Newport Beach Indy
Newport Dancers Pirouette in Plum Roles

LA Splash Magazine
An Elegant Swan Graces Irvine Barclay Theatre

Orange County Register
Fountain Valley’s Southland Ballet Academy troupe is primed en pointe

OC Mom Magazine
All you need to know before you see FBT’s Swan Lake

Orange County Register
Dance Stars Align For Festival Ballet Theatre

2014

Orange County Register
Nutcracker Brings Home The Dough

LA Splash Magazine
The Nutcracker Theatre Review – This “Nutcracker” Brings Traditional Christmas Joy To Orange County

OC Family
Why FBT’s Nutcracker is the Mother Ginger of them all! Shows Dec. 12-24.

OC Mom Magazine
14 Backstage Secrets Behind OC’s Biggest Holiday Ballet: FBT’s The Nutcracker

Arts Orange County
Salwa Rizkalla Receives Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award for Artistic Visionary

Orange County Register
Former ballerina dedicates a lifetime to dance

Orange County Register
Southland Ballet Academy

Orange Coast Magazine
Artist Spotlight: Salwa Rizkalla, Gala of the Stars

Yahoo! Music
Getting to the Pointe: Amazing Ballet-Inspired Music Videos

Huntington Beach Independent
Festival Ballet to present Gala of the Stars

Broadway World
Festival Ballet Theatre to Host 2014 Gala of the Stars at Irvine Barclay Theatre

OC Family
SBA registration open, why ballet is so important, and keeping kids interested

Orange County Register
O.C. ballet dancers take the stage in New York

Orange County Register
Southland Ballet Academy

Orange County Register
Artists of the Week: Madeline Woo and Clara Mason

Huntington Beach Independent
Friend of Festival Ballet Theatre is back

2013

USC Neon Tommy
Ballet Stars Guest in Orange County

CBS Los Angeles
Guide to The Festival Ballet Theatre’s Nutcracker

CBS Los Angeles
Southern California’s 5 Best ‘The Nutcracker’ Ballets

Where Magazine
Orange County Weekend Events Roundup

Orange County Register
Three ballerinas fill Clara’s slippers

Orange Coast Magazine
David Thompson, Slipper-Toed Scene-Stealer

Bask Magazine
Sugarplum Fairies and Fantasy

Huntington Beach Independent
Dance Review: ‘Firebird’ burns bright at Barclay

Orange County Register
Oscar-winning effects man contributes to new ballet

Huntington Beach Independent
‘Time’ is the essence

Fountain Valley Living
Festival Ballet to present Gala of the Stars

Orange County Register
Festival Theatre faces realities of the business of ballet

Newport Beach Independent
Newport Dancer Soars in Nutcracker

CBS Los Angeles
SoCal’s 5 Best ‘The Nutcracker’ Ballets

PNC Commercial
PNC commercial featuring FBT/SBA young dancers

2012

Los Angeles Times
‘Nutcracker’ guest artists like Joy Womack can make a difference

Daily Pilot
Costa Mesa dancer performs with the stars

Huntington Beach Independent
This ‘Garden’ is a tough row to hoe

LA Weekly Blogs
5 Dance Shows To See This Week

OC Family
Secret Garden kicks off the season for FBT this Sunday!

Donna On The Town
The Party Masters!

Daily Pilot
Intensive Ballet Program ends with Shows

Huntington Beach Independent
Festival Ballet Theatre to present gala show

Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot
The Beauty and the Barge Workers

Los Angeles Times
In ‘First Position,’ young ballet dancers bend and leap to compete

Huntington Beach Independent
Dancer from Fountain Valley living a dream

Coast Magazine (pages 98 and 102)
Local Talent

Fountain Valley Patch
Local Teen Rises to Ballet’s Ultimate American Stage

OC Family
Pre-show look at FBT’s upcoming Sleeping Beauty ballet

Bucket List Publications
Don’t Miss the Most Famous Kiss of all Time!

Huntington Beach Independent
FBT prepares for ‘Sleeping Beauty’

2011

Orange County Register
‘Firebird’ gets a new look in Costa Mesa

Daily Pilot
‘The Firebird’ soars into O.C.

Pointe Magazine Online
ABT’s Jamie Kopit Comes Home for Firebird

Huntington Beach Independent
Making a difference on the dance floor

Orange County Register
Up-close ballet inspires, amazes schoolkids

Huntington Beach Independent
World View: Enchanted by ‘Nutcracker’

Orange County Register
‘The Nutcracker’ casts more than 100 O.C.-area kids

Bucket List Publications
Visions of Sugar Plums – The Festival Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker

Performing Arts Live
The Nutcracker – Festival Ballet Theatre

Rancho Santa Margarita Patch
Festival Ballet Theatre of Fountain Valley’s Production of The Nutcracker Set to Open Saturday

Pointe Magazine
Your Training: The Hometown Advantage

ConcertoNet.com
A Colorful Evening with Carreno

Orange County Register
O.C. dancer Quenby Hersh returns as a star

Ballet News
Cupcakes & Conversation with Quenby Hersh, Coryphée, Scottish Ballet

Fountain Valley Patch
Festival Ballet Theatre Announces Company Dancers for 2011-12 Season

Pelican Hill Magazine 
The Ballet Project

2010

Los Angeles Times
Dancing as Clara in ‘Nutcracker’ is a Fantasy Come to Life

Orange County Register
North Tustin Teen Plays Lead in Nutcracker

Daily Pilot
1910 Ballet Born Again | The Firebird

OC Register Arts Blog
Kirov Director to teach Master Classes in Orange County

2009

Laguna Journal
Pacific Symphony schedules December spectacular 

Laguna Journal
ABT stars descend onto the Irvine Barclay Stage in Festival Ballet Theater’s Production of
‘The Nutcracker’ December 11 – 24

OC Register
Local arts groups hope holiday gift keeps on giving 

OCNewsChannel.com
OC Weekend Pics

OC Register – The Arts Blog
Kirov director is working this week in O.C.

Ballet-Dance Magazine
Festival Ballet Theatre ‘The Sleeping Beauty’

Orange County Register
OC Teen Comes Home to Perform Sleeping Beauty

Huntington Beach Independent
Sleeping Beauty to take Irvine Barclay stage

California Dance Network
Festival Ballet Theatre’s The Sleeping Beauty

The Laguna Journal Newspaper
Festival Ballet Theatre’s The Sleeping Beauty

Los Angeles Times Entertainment
Festival Ballet Happy Birthday

2008

Orange County Register
Festival Ballet Theatre – The Nutcracker

Orange County Register
Festival Ballet Grows as it Matures

Ballet-Dance Magazine
Festival Ballet Theatre | 20th Anniversary Gala
by Kathy Lee Scott

Ballet-Dance Magazine
Festival Ballet Theatre | Swan Lake

Real Orange
Festival Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla makes a
special appearance on KOCE’s Real Orange.

Orange County Performing Arts Center – Art’s Teach
Festival Ballet Theatre

OC Register
A Dancing Party

Los Angeles Times
Dancing stars come together at Irvine Barclay Theatre

Orange County Register
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