One of Christmas's most beloved stories will tip-toe across the de Jong Concert Hall stage Dec. 18 through Dec. 22 with the Utah Regional Ballet Company's rendition of 'Nutcracker'.
The opening night performance will pay special tribute to the late William Christensen and to all former company dancers of Utah Regional Ballet, said Melynda Burt, URB publicist.
Christensen is founder of the first ballet department at an American university, the University of Utah, and is also the founder of Ballet West. He is recognized for choreographing the first full-length version of 'Nutcracker.'
Through the years, Christensen has been a mentor and a personal friend to URB's artistic director Jacqueline Colledge, Burt said.
Choreography for 'Nutcracker' is original choreography by Colledge, but she gives much credit to Christensen for his influence in her life and in her artistic work, she said.
According to Colledge, more than 200 ballet dancers have passed through the URB Company since its establishment in 1980.
Opening night ceremonies will also include a dedication to all former company members of URB.
'We are so pleased to be able to honor our family of dancers this holiday season,' Colledge said.
In preparation for this season's performance of 'Nutcracker,' URB held an open community audition from which they assembled 150 children, ranging in ages 8 through 16, to augment the three casts of professional dancers, Burt said.
Most children bring with them former ballet training. The young dancers will fill the roles of soldiers, party children, nephews and cookies in the production, she said.
'It's exciting for them to make the cut, be in the performance and for their families to come and see them,' Burt said.
The artistic director, Colledge, founded the company over 20 years ago to offer professional performance opportunities to talented Utah Valley dancers, she said.
'Something members of the community don't realize is that URB is a professional ballet company,' Burt said.
Christina Gee Noakes, 21, a senior from Highland, Utah County majoring in business finance, is living her dream to become a professional ballet dancer.
Noakes said she began her training at age 10 and later became a member of Utah Regional Ballet's Senior Company in 1994, at age 14.
Noakes is a principal dancer with the URB and will play the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in this rendition of 'Nutcracker', she said.
This will be her 11th year of performing in 'Nutcracker', but she said she will still be nervous.
'It's very scary for me. I'll do the final pas de deux of the ballet and it's the most challenging role I've ever done,' Noakes said. 'I think people will be surprised by the professionalism of (the performance),' she said.