Dance

- When news spread that the San Francisco Ballet’s “Nutcracker” would make a stop in San Diego this year, there were fears that the highly polished professional version would upstage the home-growns.

Not to worry. The California Ballet’s “Nutcracker” played to sold-out houses at the East County Performing Arts Center in El Cajon during mid-December. And the company’s Civic Theatre run (which ends with Thursday’s matinee), has already topped last year’s figures in ticket sales.

“I’m real happy with it,” said California Ballet Director Maxine Mahon. “I’m sure we were affected a little by having the San Francisco Ballet here, since a lot of people might say, ‘Oh, we’ve seen the California Ballet, so let’s try the new one.’ But we’re doing well, even though there are still seats left at the Civic Theatre.”

The American Ballet Ensemble’s full-length “Nutcracker” played to good houses at the City College Theatre last weekend and enjoyed its usual success in Tijuana earlier this month.

“I don’t think it (the San Francisco Ballet’s production) hurt us,” said director Lynda Yourth. “We’ve been building up our own following, and they came out for our ‘Nutcracker.’ ”

Yourth is packing for a trip to China--and bursting with enthusiasm for the project that made it possible.

“I’ll be teaching at the Hong Kong Ballet through January, and setting some ballets, including one new work by me,” she said. “I’ll also be working with a contemporary company there. We are working on an exchange where we will have principal dancers and teachers from China come here and vice versa. It’s exciting.”