Harmony School of Creative Arts

“Nutcracker Gifts of Christmas,” will be performed Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 2-3, by a troupe of 51 ballet dancers of Harmony School of Creative Arts.

“The Nutcracker Ballet” has been described as a German Romantic short story set to music by a Russian composer and brought to life on stage by a French choreographer. You could add that the late 19th Century piece has been popularized by New York City stagecraft since the 1940's and, now, by dance teachers in the Highland Lakes.

“Harmony school has been doing a version of 'The Nutcracker' for 16 years, but this is a new version of put in place last year,” said Pamela Dillard, the new director of dance at Harmony. “Dance mistress Jane Huber, Rebecca Carmack and Kristi Steere took the Nutcracker choreography and inserted the story of Christ’s birth.

The annual ballet performance, “Nutcracker—Gifts of Christmas,” by Harmony School of Creative Arts will take place next weekend.

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11.

Both will be held at the Marble Falls High School Auditorium, 2101 Mustang Drive.

After 200 years, the E.T.A. Hoffmann story, “Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” endures. This special ballet includes many of the familiar dances and images from the classic tale in a briefer version than set to music by Tchaikovsky for Russian ballet dancers in 1891.

In this performance, dancers also will portray the Nativity story in celebration of Christmas.