Dance Magazine once gingerly estimated the number of different productions  of “Nutcracker” ballets staged annually in America could be as many as 500 … or more? Based on the results of canvassing Christmastime 2024 visits by Clara, the Mouse King and  Sugar Plum Fairy here in Southern California, that 500 nationally might be a conservative guess. The abundance of this holiday performance tradition, on costumed display throughout the region, follows below: LOS ANGELES COUNTY Ballet California Staged by the Torrance-based Lauridsen Ballet Centre, this variation finds Grandmother Clara telling the story of a young girl whose dream of becoming a ballerina takes her on exciting adventures. 2 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22. Marsee Auditorium, El Camino College 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance. $36. Balletcalifornia.org Long Beach Ballet’s annual production of “The Nutcracker” returns to the Terrance Theatre Dec. 14-21. (Photo by Katie Ging) Long Beach Ballet Big, bigger, biggest: dance subtlety may not be on hand, but Long Beach Ballet Artistic Director David Wilcox is of the go-for-the-gusto school when it comes to his version of the Yuletide tradition with former Disney designers helping to pull out all the stops, from dance to fireworks to magicians (and two harps in the live orchestra!). Wilcox beckons a come hither to audiences by recycling his most notorious enticement quote about the company’s massive “Nutcracker”: “You can hate ballet and you’ll still like this production!” 2 p.m. matinees on Dec. 14, 15, 21 and 22. 7:30 p.m. performances on Dec. 14, 20 and 21.  Terrace Theatre, Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center 300 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach. $38-$95. longbeachballet.com Los Angeles Ballet The ever-peripatetic Los Angeles Ballet production of its “Nutcracker” has reduced its annual venue hopping in 2024 to merely three halls. This design aspect remains firmly set in imagined SoCal environs, varying over its five scenes in two acts from an elegant Spanish-style Hancock Park home to the snowy slopes of Big Bear to the Venice Beach archways, and the moonlit Pacific Ocean. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, 6 p.m. Dec. 7 and 2 p.m. Dec. 8 at Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. $44-137. 8 p.m. Dec. 13, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14, and 2 p.m. Dec. 15 at Royce Hall, UCLA, 10745 Dickson Court., Los Angeles. $44-$137. (with live orchestra), 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19, 20, 21, 22 and 27, and 2 p.m. matinees on Dec. 22, 24, 26 and 28 at Dolby Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. $77.75-$119.55. losangelesballet.org Pasadena Dance Theater Founded in 1958, this organization has continuously mounted an annual production for more than 50 years. This year features this company’s usual eclectic array of talent, including principal guest dancers Matisse Love and Aaron Smyth in the lead roles, a singing ensemble from the Pasadena Chorale, acrobats from the U.S. Men’s National team and “Chinese Dragons.” 7:30 p.m., Dec. 20 and 21 and 2 p.m. matinees, Dec. 21 and 22. San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel. $28.70-108.70. pasadenadancetheatre.org Dance! To Your Heart’s Delight For a 20th season, the Tustin Dance Center once again moves just across the county line to Downey for its annual production of “Nutcracker.” Its early December two-date runs continue to be performed with an enticing, 47-piece orchestra in this 738-seat venue. 2 p.m. matinees, Dec. 7 and 8. 6:30 p.m., Dec. 7. Downey Theatre, 8435 Firestone Blvd., Downey. $38-$53. dtyhd.com San Pedro City Ballet Founded in 1994 by Cynthia and Patrick Bradley, this company has mounted a “Nutcracker” in the South Bay ever since. But this season introduced a geographic wrinkle: the company leaves its longtime San Pedro performance space and journeys to the neighboring town of Lomita as well as Torrance. 7 p.m. Dec. 7 and 2 p.m. Dec. 8. at Alexander Fleming Middle School, 25425 Walnut St., Lomita. $49.87. 7:30 p.m., Dec. 13 and 14. 2 p.m. matinee, Dec. 14. James R. Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance. $45. Sanpedrocityballet.org SC Ballet SC Ballet Company — a chamber ballet company known as “BCo” — is USC’s only student-run ballet organization, self-described as “practicing, performing, and choreographing classical, neoclassical, and contemporary ballet.” The troupe is undertaking a “Nutcracker” that, while perhaps a bit short on many of the extras, has a rare quality in across four county performances: Free. (Note: check on eventbrite.com first to ensure remaining ticket availability). 8 p.m. Dec. 5. Bovard Auditorium (1,235-seat hall on the USC campus), 3551 Trousdale Parkway. Los Angeles. www.instagram.com/scballetcompany Westside Ballet This regional company has presented its full-fledged “Nutcracker” annually for more than half a century, longer than any other Southern California company. This year offers glitzy star power in the form of company alumnus Tiler Peck, principal dancer with New York City Ballet, who is being partnered with NYCB principal Roman Mejia. Danced live to music from the Santa Monica City College Symphony Orchestra. 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 7 and 8. 7 p.m., Dec. 6. Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. $66.50. Westsideballet.com World Ballet Company This Los Angeles-based company annually tours nationally, featuring seasonal productions of “Nutcracker” and “Swan Lake.” This “Nutcracker,” to recorded music, features a multinational cast of 50 professional dancers and more than 150 hand-crafted costumes, with hand-painted sets. 2 and 6 p.m. Dec. 22; La Mirada Theatre, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada. $38.80-$97-90. 6 p.m. Dec. 23 and 2 p.m. Dec. 24; Alex Theater, 216 N Brand Blvd., Glendale. $50-$86. WorldBalletCompany.com ORANGE COUNTY American Ballet Theatre’s run of “Nutcracker” performances at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa begins Dec. 12 and continues through Dec. 22. (Photo by Marty Sohl) American Ballet Theatre This high-caliber “Nutcracker,” at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, stages its annual multi-performance run. Supported by the Pacific Symphony, and with children’s roles populated by students from the Center’s ABT Gillespie School, principal ABT dancers rotate through the leads. The expressive narrative, as well as pinpoint choreography, is from former company choreographer Alexei Ratmansky. 7 p.m. Dec. 12-14 and Dec. 18-21; 2 p.m. Dec. 14 and 21; 12:30 p.m. Dec. 15; 11:30 and 4:30 p.m. Dec. 22; Segerstrom Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. $32.77-$282.50. scfta.org Festival Ballet Theatre’s annual production of “The Nutcracker” will include more than a dozen performances from Dec. 7 through Christmas Eve at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. (Photo by Skye Schmidt) Festival Ballet Theatre Returning to its traditional December home since 2007 at the Irvine Barclay, longtime Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla’s choreography will be on fulsome display again this season. Among the annual highlights of the FBT “Nutcracker” is a rotation of imported guest artists to fill the two lead roles, with principals arriving from the Oklahoma City Ballet, New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and Houston Ballet. 2 p.m. Dec. 7; 1 p.m. Dec. 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 and 23; 6 p.m. Dec. 14, 15, 21, 22, 23; 11 a.m. Dec. 24. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. $54-$74. festivalballet.org The Pacific Symphony Staged in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, The Pacific Symphony and American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School unite to reimagine Tchaikovsky’s ballet as the 45-minute “The Nutcracker for Kids!” In the lobbies beforehand are special activities for kids related to the performance, including a coloring station, craft station, photo station, and S.T.E.A.M. station.10 and 11:30 a.m. Dec. 7. Segerstrom Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. $75.71. pacificsymphony.org SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY Inland Dance Theatre An annual presentation since 1976, this “Nutcracker” in San Bernardino County stages a fully costumed cast of 100. The company also presents annual weekday stagings for area school children, with an estimated total of more than 225,000 children having seen the show for free over the years. Regular ticketed performances this year: 7 p.m. Dec. 6 and 7, 2:15 p.m. matinee Dec. 8. California Theatre of the Performing Arts, 562 W. 4th St., San Bernardino. $51.75-$56.75. idtnutcracker.org Inland Empire Contemporary Ballet This will be the eighth year for the company’s “Nutcracker” production,  staged by artistic director Jamie Azpeitia-Sachs. The youth company is an adjunct of the Riverside-based Inland Empire Dance Center; Azpeitia-Sachs is a former dancer with Debbie Allen Dance and Los Angeles Ballet. 6 p.m. Dec. 7. Yucaipa Performing Arts Center, 12062 California St. $29.20-$39.50. yucaipaperformingarts.org Lake Arrowhead Classical Ballet Company Founded in 1993 by Sharon McCormick, who is also a choreographer, cast members from the mountain community often appear in this production for a dozen or more years with roles changing as their dance skills increase. Speaking to the growth of this company, the group now performs this down the hill at a larger venue in the city of San Bernardino. 7 p.m. Dec. 6, 2:30 and 7 p.m. Dec. 7, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 8. San Manuel Performing Arts Center at Aquinas High School, 2772 Sterling Ave., San Bernardino. $32. Arrowheadballet.org MULTI-COUNTY PRODUCTIONS Inland Pacific Ballet This Montclair-based troupe hits the road within the Inland Empire with six performances at two venues. An elaborate production of the traditional story line includes about 80 performers as well as guest dancers in the two lead roles. 2 p.m. Dec. 7, 8, 21 and 22. Bridges Auditorium, 450 N. College Way, Claremont. $39-101. 2 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15. Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, $50.25-$57.50. Ipballet.org Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet Produced by an entertainment production company out of Massachusetts, for a third of a century this group has organized touring productions that set up at venues for short runs around the country. The production boasts Ukrainian dancers, Broadway-level sets, and choreography that blends classical ballet with puppetry and acrobatics. 4 and 8 p.m. Dec. 13, Pasadena Civic Center, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. $35-$85. 7 p.m. Dec. 19, McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert. 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert. $88-$108. 7 p.m. Dec. 20, 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 21; The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. $47.50-$107. Nutcracker.com NONTRADITIONAL NUTCRACKERS Dorrance Dance: The Nutcracker Suite Tap shoes kick pointe shoes aside in this animated version of the holiday classic, percussively danced to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s “Nutcracker Suite,” reimagined from Tchaikovsky’s score in 1960. This differing approach is just what’s to be expected from 2015 MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” award winner Michelle Dorrance, whose tap creativity knows few boundaries. The work debuted last year at the Kennedy Center. 8 p.m. Dec. 18, Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (on the Cal State University Northridge campus), 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. $48-$95. thesoraya.com Debbie Allen’s ‘Hot Chocolate Nutcracker.’ This kid-centric spin on the traditional work departs from the usual plotline and follows three wise-cracking mice who lead everyone on a fanciful journey. Along the way dancing ranges from traditional ballet to hip-hop and other modern dance choreography; the trip includes stops in ancient Egypt, Bollywood and a Candy-Cane land. (Note: in addition to seeing this live, a worthwhile documentary from 2020 called “Dance Dreams” about Allen herself and the company rehearsing to prepare her imagined work can be found on Netflix). 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5. 2 p.m. matinee Dec. 7 and 8. Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach. $54.59-$144.99. Debbieallendanceacademy.com Bob Baker’s Nutcracker Bob Baker Marionette Theater’s version of “The Nutcracker” originated in 1969 with more than 100 handcrafted marionettes. The marionettes have since been retooled in larger sizes and against more intricate backdrops and the presentation moves this year to the 92-seat Sierra Madre Playhouse. The show, with recorded music, has 48 performances from Saturday, Nov. 30 through Jan. 5. Check the website for the multiple showings daily, but most weekday performances are at 4:30 and 7 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sunday at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. $25. Sierramadreplayhouse.org Related Articles Theater | Everything you need to know about the 2024 Festival of Lights in Riverside Theater | Do not wash your turkey and other Thanksgiving tips to keep your food safe Theater | Here are 24 ways to celebrate the holidays and cap off 2024 Theater | Festival of Lights in Riverside turns on the power in another early switch-on ceremony Theater | Will an election hangover slow this year’s holiday shopping?