The students of the Dallas School of Dance will perform their rendition of “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” for the institute’s 12th year at the Dallas Theatre on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5.

The dance school has an emphasis on ballet as the backbone of all dance, and with that in mind, that is one of the main reasons why they hold this play every year. In an effort to further expose the arts to the youth of Paulding County that may be unable to see the play during its scheduled time at the theatre, the schools in the county district are invited to witness the play during a field trip on Dec. 4. The school hosts auditions every year for students ages 6 and up, and all are encouraged to try out.

During the day of the first performance, the cast and crew from Dallas School of Dance will participate in the Dallas Parade. The parade is open to the entire community and will feature floats, including one from the dance school itself featuring their performers.

Doing “The Nutcracker” ballet has become a tradition for the Dallas School of Dance and owner Michelle Quinn wishes to make it into a tradition for Paulding County. Each year, she and the rest of her staff make changes to the play to include more costumes or remove them or change the costumes. Ms. Quinn said she feels that as the county grows and improves, the yearly renditions of “The Nutcracker” should also grow with its community to stay relevant.

“This is our 12th year doing this play and every year we add dances and change, and hope that every year to grow with the community,” said Ms. Quinn.

The lead instructor, Ms. Quinn has owned the institution for five of its total 25 years of operation. She teaches many different styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, and has students across all ages from toddlers to adults. Ms. Quinn has been involved in dancing since age 3, and began teaching when she was 14 years old. She has learned from acclaimed artists such as tap dancer Savion Glover and through the Atlanta School of Tap, as well as through the Brenau University’s Special Arts Program.

“The Nutcracker” story was originally written in 1816 by E. T. A. Hoffmann, in which young Marie Stahlbaum’s favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, comes alive and whisks her away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls and comes into conflict with the evil Mouse King. In 1892, the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov turned the story into a ballet, which became one of Tchaikovsky’s most famous compositions, and one of the most popular ballets in the world.

Tickets are available at the dance studio, which is open Monday through Thursday 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Purchasing advanced tickets are $14 for adults and $10 for children. Door sale tickets are $16 for adults and $12 for children.

Information: Dallas Dance, 770-445-8935.