An Aspen holiday classic, The Nutcracker ballet, is a tradition that locals look forward to every year. Originally written in 1816 by E.T.A Hoffman and adapted by Alexandre Dumas Père, the original production dates all the way back to the 1890s, although it didn’t become a Christmas classic until many years later. Since then there have been hundreds of different adaptations that have been performed on the stage and the big screen. On December 8th and 9th, The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (ASFB) brought the Nutcracker to life on the Aspen School District stage. Local ASFB students performed with professionals to create a magical show about a young girl named Clara and her family’s Christmas Eve traditions.

   AFSB’s School Director Melanie Doskocil has been teaching at ASFB for 14 years and brings over 20 years of teaching and dancing experience. She was excited about the unique surprises in the show this year and thrilled about the opportunity the performance gives the students.

   “I love the fact that our students get an opportunity to dance on stage with our professional company. I think it’s a great opportunity for students to see how much hard work and dedication goes into putting on a professional classical ballet,” Doskocil said.

   The show requires an admirable effort from all dancers who spend about five weeks preparing for the shows and attending mandatory Saturday rehearsals.

   Lily Jacobson, a freshman at AHS, has been dancing for ASFB for ten years and played the lead role of Clara in this year’s Nutcracker. She spent about 40 hours rehearsing for the show and has participated in the Nutcracker for the past nine years. She loves being able to be apart of telling such a classic story.

   “I like that everyone already knows the story of the Nutcracker so different companies can create their own variations of the traditional Nutcracker while still conveying the well-known story,” Jacobson said.

   The show is magical, uplifting, filled with holiday tradition and a hint of humor. With two acts full of magical surprises the show adds a whimsical twist to a holiday classic.

  “Each company has their own special something that makes the performance unique. I was mesmerized by each performance,” Doskocil said.