By Rebekah Hanson
This year will mark Utah Regional Ballet''s 21st year performing 'The Nutcracker' at BYU''s de Jong Concert Hall.
'''The Nutcracker'' is a part of the magic of the holiday season,' said Jacqueline P. Colledge, Utah Regional Ballet choreographer. 'It is a part of so many Christmas traditions. Students who watched in college are grown up and are now making it a part of their family tradition.'
The show is one the whole family would enjoy. About 150 kids augment the cast, plus 11 Utah Regional Ballet members.
The concert is the full-length 'Nutcracker' patterned after the original production by Willam F. Christensen, who was the choreographer of the original American performance.
Colledge had the opportunity to work with Christensen in person while choreographing the production, said Melynda Burt, Utah Regional Ballet board member.
Utah Regional Ballet does something different with the performance by putting on a special performance for local schools.
A discount price is offered schools that attend the special performance and many corporations will sponsor the schools in attending the production, Colledge said.
'About 4,500 kids come and see it,' she said. 'It is great because many kids get to see the performance when they wouldn''t have had the chance to.'
For many of the dancers in 'The Nutcracker' production, performing the ballet is a tradition.
'It''s a really exciting time,' said Amy Peterson, Utah Regional Ballet member and 16-year veteran of 'The Nutcracker.' 'It''s become a tradition for me because I have done is for so long. It makes the season complete.'
Tickets for the production are available at the Harrison Fine Arts Center ticket box office for $10, $18 or $24. The performances run Dec. 16 through Dec. 20.