Angels Camp, CA…Each year, Artistic Director Tammie Lee and Studio 4 Dance Theater present a new version of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” the charming holiday tale of Clara’s amazing dreamlike Christmas Eve adventure in the Land of Sweets.

Studio 4 Dance Theater has earned a reputation for a professional quality production that has become the highlight of the local holiday season, with return audiences and sold-out performances year after year. This year’s “Nutcracker” will showcase more advanced dancers and eight male dancers. New characters include the Snow King and a male Arabian dancer. The Snow Princesses and Mouse Queen will dance on pointe and there will be three male/female partner dances: the Grand Pas de Deux (the Sugar Plum Fairy dance), Arabian Pas de Deux, and Snow Pas de Deux.

More than 60 dancers, ranging in age from 4-60 years old, are cast in the ballet and rehearse for over six months. The 2016 production of “The Nutcracker” features new costumes, including the adorable “Little Snowflakes.” The starring role of Clara will be performed by Madison Pelland, with Michaela Jarnagin and Jillian Buteau as the Dew Drop Fairies, Ruby Eustis-Smith as the Mouse Queen, Molly Johnson as the Snow Queen, Damian Homer-Goltz as the Snow King, Justin Sharp as the Nutcracker Prince, Ethan Moes as the Cavalier, Brianna Gilbert as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Tim Smith returning in the role of Dr. Drosselmeyer.