Rancho Bernardo High grad returns home for ‘The Nutcracker’

The Southern California Ballet’s performance of “The Nutcracker” will be a little extra special this year.

Dancing in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy is Martha Leebolt, who graduated from Rancho Bernardo High School in 2000 and soon after moved to England to dance.

Performances for “The Nutcracker” will be at 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 and 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road in Poway. Tickets range from $18 to $35 and are available at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts box office by phone at 858-748-0505 or online at socalballet.org/performances/.

In addition to Leebolt as the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Southern California Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” also will feature Lydia Murphy and Lillie Eckstein as Clara and company dancers Amy McMaster, Kalena Tao, Claire Fiorino and Joanne Yue in lead roles.

Leebolt, who began training professionally at the age of 11, said she was excited to return home and perform with the Southern California Ballet, where she trained. “I was kind of old to start,” said Leebolt. “I was an 11 year old in classes with 7 year olds at first. I was able to progress quickly, but the first few years were hard.”

After graduating from Rancho Bernardo High School, Leebolt did about nine months of training at Ballet Met in Columbus, Ohio with David Nixon. When Nixon accepted a job with the Northern Ballet in Leeds, England, he brought Leebolt and another dancer with him to be part of the touring company.

“I love to dance and perform,” said Leebolt, who received the Outstanding Female Classical Performance Award at the 2010 National Dance Awards in England. “I didn’t know if I was good enough to perform professionally, though. I was lined up to attend California State University San Marcos (in case she couldn’t dance professionally).”

Usually, Leebolt is too busy doing Christmas shows in England with the Northern Ballet, which often perform through January, to be able to travel home to see her family for the holidays, let alone perform in a show. She was able to see her parents on Christmas about four years ago, after flying home on Christmas Day.

This year, however, Leebolt said her company’s Christmas show is “Peter Pan,” which she isn’t needed in, and was able to take the time off at the holidays for the first time. “It’s the first time I’ll be back to dance since I graduated,” said Leebolt. “It’s so exciting, but I’m so nervous because my friends and family will be there watching me.”

Leebolt said it was good to be back performing with the Southern California Ballet, which is based out of the Black Mountain Dance Centre. “It’s great being back. It’s funny, being back in the studio I grew up in with new girls. They’re a really great group of girls.”

Leebolt will be home until the new year and said she’s looking forward to spending Christmas with her family. “It’s hard to get home for the important holidays,” she said. “I can’t take too much time off. It’s always nice to be home.”