The enormously popular ballet, ‘The Nutcracker’ has become a Christmas tradition in many countries, particularly the US, and Lizz Pimentel of In Motion School of Dance is determined that it become a holiday tradition in Bermuda too.Always looking to take her company to the next level, last year Ms Pimentel introduced Bermudian dance audiences to selected excerpts of the ballet which hadn’t been performed in Bermuda for over 20 years. “It was received exceptionally well,” Ms Pimentel observed.This year her company Concepts in Motion supported by students of In Motion School of Dance will present the whole of Act II and “Snow” from Act I as part of a holiday spectacular on December 16 and 17 at the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium.“Though a holiday tradition,” Ms Pimentel explained, “it’s not mainstream here. I wanted to do it in a format appealing to an audience who might not know what ‘The Nutcracker’ is, or might not have been exposed to it even.”The Holiday Spectacular 2011 will open with a series of holiday pieces created by local choreographers Candice Musselman, Annae Robinson, Kelly Summers, Jennifer Soares and Laurie Marshall in a range of choreographic styles: tap, ballet, jazz and modern. “It will be fun, uplifting,” Ms Pimentel promised, “with an upbeat display of styles and age groups.”The second half of the programme is devoted to ‘The Nutcracker’, the familiar holiday classic restaged, re-costumed, and choreographed to fit the technical level of the local dancers.In Act II Clara and the Prince travel to the beautiful Land of Sweets in Confiturembourg which is ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Prince tells the Sugar Plum Fairy how he has been saved by Clara from the Mouse King and transformed back into a Prince. In honour of the young heroine, a celebration of sweets from around the world is produced, including chocolate from Spain, coffee from Arabia, candy canes from Russia; even a string of beautiful flowers perform a waltz. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a pas de deux, and a final waltz is performed by all the sweets after which Clara and the Prince are crowned rulers on Confiturembourg and shown the riches of their kingdom.The dance troupe, about 30 dancers, comprises youngsters of varying ages, from 11 to 17 years of age, providing the youngest ones with exposure to more challenging pieces and role models to whom they can look up and aspire to follow in their dancing careers. The principal dancers are Haley Canterella as Clara, Taylor Railton as the Spring Fairy, Jada Pearman, Kiarrah Rogers and Sydney Neal as the principals of the Chinese, Russian and Arabian dances respectively and Dara Palmer as principal Candy Cane.“These kids put in a minimum of 20 hours of dance a week on top of their school day,” stated Ms Pimentel, “and then rehearse all day Saturday and Sunday.”As Taylor Railton observed, “Getting ready for the Nutcracker requires many tiring hours of work (seven days a week) but it’s definitely worth it. We’ve all worked very hard and look forward to showing this on stage.”Marie-Jeanne Doughty echoed her sentiments: “It's a lot of work but it is definitely worth it at the end. I enjoyed working with everyone, the staff, parents, other dancers. "Jolie Walker probably expressed it best when she said, “I think ‘The Nutcracker’ is fun and fantastic, but to make it work you need to be cooperative. I also like how everyone in the performance tries their best and works hard on their part for the showcase. You have to rehearse a lot but, working towards the performance and seeing everyone else's part is pretty cool”.They do derive a great deal from the experience. “They learn life lessons,” Ms Pimentel explained, “responsibility and dedication in particular.”Courtney Chiappa agreed, “ ‘The Nutcracker’ has been a challenging yet worthwhile experience,” she said, “as it has prepared us for our futures, teaching us the right skills needed for better time management, while also teaching us discipline and respect for others.”Clearly proud of their achievement, Ms Pimentel is promising a highly professional production, visually stimulating, with challenging choreography performed with energy and proficiency.The variety of dance styles not only shows off the versatility of the dancers, but means there will be something for everyone.The Nutcracker Holiday Spectacular 2011 will be performed at the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts on December 16 at 7pm and December 17 at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets $35 (patrons $60) are available at www.inmotion.bm and www.bdatix.com