A Tradition Worth Preserving: Denise Dabrowski on the Past, Present, and Future of The Nutcracker
For more than five decades, the Civic Theatre stage has been home to a beloved San Diego holiday tradition: The Nutcracker.
Generations of dancers have stepped into the spotlight, generations of families have gathered to experience the magic, and generations of artists have helped bring this story to life.
Few people embody that legacy more completely than Denise Dabrowski.
Long before she became Golden State Ballet’s Artistic Associate, Denise was one of San Diego’s most celebrated dancers. As the Prima Ballerina of California Ballet Company, she spent nearly two decades performing leading roles on the Civic Theatre stage, including some of ballet’s most iconic characters. Her career included more than 70 ballets in the California Ballet repertoire, with acclaimed performances as Giselle, Juliet, Aurora, Odette-Odile, and the Sugarplum Fairy.
Today, Denise continues to shape the future of ballet - not from center stage, but from the studio, where she coaches Golden State Ballet’s principals and soloists, preserves the integrity of the company’s repertoire, and mentors the next generation of artists.
As Golden State Ballet celebrates 55 years of The Nutcracker at the Civic Theatre, Denise’s journey offers a rare perspective on the tradition’s past, present, and future.
Dabrowski as the Sugar Plum Fairy in California Ballet’s The Nutcracker.
Looking Back: A Lifetime of Nutcracker Memories
When asked about her memories of performing The Nutcracker with California Ballet, Denise immediately recalls one moment that remains especially meaningful.
“My favorite would be when my husband, Golden State Ballet Music Director John Stubbs, conducted his first Nutcracker,” she shared. “Walking out onstage as the Sugarplum Fairy and seeing John in the orchestra pit looking up at me was such a thrill!”
The moment was particularly special because The Nutcracker had already played an important role in their lives - they first met while working on the production in 1979.
For Denise, The Nutcracker has been a constant throughout her entire life as an artist.
“Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas for me without The Nutcracker,” she said. “Every year since I was 10 years old I’ve been either onstage or backstage, performing or helping the dancers and crew to produce the magic that The Nutcracker brings to our community.”
Over the course of her career, Denise danced nearly every major role in the production. She performed as Clara early in her career before going on to dance roles including the Snow Queen, Dewdrop, Arabian variation, and ultimately the Sugarplum Fairy—a role she performed for 24 consecutive years.
“I know I grew so much as an artist because of the opportunity to dance a role over and over again,” Denise reflected. “And our audiences actually watched me ‘grow up’ onstage.”
Carrying the Tradition Forward
This year marks 55 years of The Nutcracker at the Civic Theatre—a milestone that represents generations of artistry, dedication, and community connection.
When California Ballet closed following the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of San Diego’s beloved Nutcracker tradition was uncertain. Denise and John Stubbs played an important role in helping ensure that the tradition continued, providing transformational philanthropic support that helped lay the foundation for Golden State Ballet to continue bringing The Nutcracker to audiences each holiday season.
For Denise, preserving this tradition has always been about giving something meaningful back to the community.
“I’m so pleased that Golden State Ballet has the opportunity to perform our beautiful Nutcracker every year at the Civic Theatre and with the San Diego Symphony,” she said. “We wanted to be sure to carry on the tradition as a gift to San Diego.”
That commitment to honoring the past while investing in the future is at the heart of Golden State Ballet’s mission. With each performance, the company celebrates the artists who came before while creating opportunities for today’s dancers to build their own legacy.
Dabrowski coaching GSB Principal Miranda Giles on the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in Raúl Salamanca’s The Nutcracker | Photo by Samantha Zauscher.
Passing It On: The Art of Mentorship
After a celebrated performing career, Denise has found a new way to create art: by helping others discover their own artistry.
“What a joy it is to work with Golden State Ballet’s wonderful dancers!” Denise said. “I love being inspired by them, and seeing them grow into amazing artists.”
Her transition from performer to mentor has given her a new perspective on the creative process.
“Now, instead of being a performing artist, I still get to create art by nurturing these dancers and hope that through my inspiration and experience I can contribute to making their performing lives joyful and fulfilling.”
When coaching a dancer in a role she once performed herself, Denise sees it as her responsibility to pass along the wisdom she received from the artists who guided her.
“Because I’ve been fortunate to be coached by wonderful artists, and have danced many roles created on me, I know first-hand exactly what the choreographer or coach said, showed, and wanted for each role,” she explained. “It is my responsibility to share all that I’ve learned from those who guided me.”
For Denise, artistry goes far beyond technical excellence.
“Technique has to be a means to an end,” she said. “Musicality, dramatic honesty and clarity, nuance and intensity, generosity, creativity, courage…I could go on and on.”
The most rewarding moments, she says, are when dancers stop thinking about the steps and truly connect with the music and the emotion of a role.
“When they stop dwelling on the steps and really let the music and the moment carry them,” Denise said. “Unself-conscious, musical, lost-in-the-moment dancing always gives me goosebumps.”
Dabrowski and Salamanca in rehearsal for A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Photo by Samantha Zauscher.
Looking Ahead: A Legacy Still Being Written
As Golden State Ballet continues to grow, Denise sees an exciting future ahead—one that honors tradition while embracing innovation.
“We have the opportunity to create a wonderful repertoire—to dance the classics with integrity and deep understanding, and to produce innovative new works to challenge and invigorate our dancers and our art,” she said.
She is especially passionate about the importance of live music and the role it plays in the company’s artistic vision.
“We will incorporate live music at every affordable opportunity, knowing its importance,” Denise shared. “We have dedicated, world class dancers. We have Directors with vision and passion. We have artistic staff with artistic brilliance and generosity.”
After a lifetime devoted to ballet—as a dancer, teacher, mentor, and advocate—Denise continues to believe in the power of this art form and the artists who carry it forward.
This holiday season, audiences will once again gather at the Civic Theatre to experience the wonder of The Nutcracker. For Denise, it is more than a performance. It is a tradition passed from one generation to the next—a gift from artists to audiences, and from the past to the future.