Christmas wouldn’t be the same without “The Nutcracker,” a holiday classic that, for generations, has single handedly inspired countless children to take ballet lessons.

Perhaps, some young audience members will feel a spark ignite in them as they watch The Ballet Slipper Conservatory’s dancers move gracefully in the snowy stage at Oak Harbor High School, where founder and ballet instructor Diane Geragotelis is proud to present her students’ rendition of “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 9 and 10.

For over 10 years, Geragotelis’ students have left audiences in awe at the quality of the performances and the students’ self discipline.

“I train the girls to be at a professional level,” said Geragotelis, a seasoned dancer who founded the conservatory in 1991.

The performance involves 24 dancers aged between 8 and 18 years old. All the dancers were selected from a pool of about 70 students based on their level of skill and ability to learn fast. While it’s not uncommon for dance instructors to help their youngest students by guiding their moves during a show, even the youngest dancers on stage can dance independently, without outside help.

In just nine weeks, or nine rehearsal sessions, these young dancers were able to learn and polish their performance to the point that, while a Whidbey News-Times reporter sat amid a group of seniors to watch dancers perform snippets of the show, she almost forgot she was in a small room at Summerhill Retirement Center and not in the Land of Sweets.

During the performance, two things in particular stand out: the dancers’ flexibility, demonstrated with a series of split leaps and tilts, and the colorful costumes, all designed and created by Geragotelis with extreme care. She estimated that, to make a single tutu, she spent a total of 48 hours cutting and sewing all of the different layers together, often working late at night or early in the morning.

Community members are welcome to take a seat and enjoy the live performance at 2 or 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10. Tickets cost $16 for adults, $11 for children ages 18 and younger, and $11 for seniors ages 60 and older. Seats can be booked in advance at tbscoh.org, with remaining tickets sold at the door.

Hannah Brackeen, in red, and Naomi Crawford, in black, perform the Spanish Dance. (Photo by Luisa Loi)

The Sweets dance in the Land of Sweets. Starting from the left, Hannah Brackeen, Ana Kettlewell, Lily Brinlee, Riley White and Tessa Lang, who are some of the oldest and most experienced dancers selected to perform in the show. (Photo by Luisa Loi)

The Nutcracker, performed by Riley White, faces the Rat King, played by Lily Brinlee. (Photo by Luisa Loi)

A group of mice, played by Michaela Reed, Piper Arrington, Clara Kettlewell, Olivia Hamilton and Evangeline Holton, surround a terrified Clara, played by Hannah Brackeen. (Photo by Luisa Loi)

Hannah Brackeen performs the Arabian Dance. (Photo by Luisa Loi)