Colorado Ballet’s traditional “Nutcracker” ballet classic will be performed Nov. 29 through Dec. 27, carrying an audience from a Christmas party at Clara’s house to the Snow Queen’s realm to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy and home again.

Including children in the performance has been the Colorado Ballet custom and this year, 90 students from the company’s academies in Denver and Highlands Ranch, will become party cousins, soldiers, Mother Ginger legs, angels, ponchinelles and more onstage at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

And, they will have an experience they won’t forget, amid assorted magical beings, wonderful professional staging, a full orchestra and the actual Sugar Plum Fairy up close and personal. They’ll see the backstage scene, absorb the atmosphere and realize how serious and disciplined professional dance really is.

Children in the audience will dream of joining them — and will dance and spin in the lobby at intermission, dressed in holiday fanciest.

Leslie Morton Justi is director of the south academy and Michelle Dolighan-Rodenbeck heads the north facility. Both are former company members.

Colorado Ballet’s professional dancers come from across the world to work under artistic director Gil Boggs in the company established in 1961 by Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker.

Local dancers include:

Highlands Ranch: Nadine Malek, Alexandra Malek, Reagan Hopp, Isabella Allen, Lily Allen, Aubrey Clark, Kelsey Dickinson, Emily Epper, Allison Gosselin, Annabel Hiben, Caitlin McCann, Bridget McCann, Katherine “Yvonne” McCauley, Amelia Morris, Abigail Nelson, Taylor Nossaman, Paulina Teran, Alexandra Wilson.

Castle Rock: Kaitlin White, Belle Armstrong, Sydney Armstrong, Hannah Beiersdorf, Marianna Nouss, Isabella Nucci, Olivia Nucci, Hope Whitworth, Grace Whitworth, Erin Zellers.

Centennial: Samantha Warner, Rachel Lie, Jesse Warner, Silken Kelly, Madison Grimm, Meg MacDonald, Rachel (Corcoran) Parmer, Jordan Trigg.

Littleton: Kristine Padgett, Kaitlyn Krajicek, Shannon Allen, Ashley Musick.

Englewood: Betty Bai, Alexa Peach, Jenny Zheng.

Performances will number 24 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Performing Art Complex, 14th and Curtis, Denver, starting at 2 p.m. Nov. 29. Matinees are at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; and 1 p.m. Dec. 22-24; evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 17, 22, 23. Ticket prices range from $19-$145. 303-837-8888, e-mail info@coloradoballet.org: www.coloradoballet.org.

An additional event of interest: Dec. 6-7, Colorado Ballet will be at Cherry Creek Mall. From 9-9:45 a.m. in the Stapleton Kids Court, there will be free classes with a Colorado Ballet teacher — tutus may be borrowed. From 10 a.m. to noon, there will be a Sugar Plum Fairy autographing and photo opportunity.

Highlands Ranch Herald

Nadine Malek, Highlands Ranch, Act I, Party Scene, Party Boys, Act II Polichinelle

Alexandra Malek, Highlands Ranch, Act I, Battle Scene, Soldier

Reagan Hopp, Highlands Ranch, Act I, Battle Scene, Soldier

Isabella Allen, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Angel

Lily Allen, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Angel

Aubrey Clark, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Angel

Kelsey Dickinson, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Poichinelle

Emily Epper, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Angel

Allison Gosselin, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Sugarplum Attendent

Annabel Hiben, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Polichinelle

Caitlin McCann, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Polichinelle

Bridget McCann, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Angel

Katherine “Yvonne” McCauley, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Polichinelle

Amelia Morris, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Angel

Abigail Nelson, Highlands Ranch, Act I, Party Scene, Party Boy*

Taylor Nossaman, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Angel

Paulina Teran, Highlands Ranch, Act II, Angel

Alexandra Wilson, Highlands Ranch, Act I, Party Scene, Party Boy

Douglas County News-Press

Kaitlin White, Castle Rock, Act II, Angels

Belle Armstrong, Castle Rock, Act I, Party Scene, Party Boy

Sydney Armstrong, Castle Rock, Act I, Battle Scene, Soldier, Act II, Mother Ginger Legs

Hannah Beiersdorf, Castle Rock, Act II, Polichinelle

Marianna Nouss, Castle Rock, Act II, Polichinelle

Isabella Nucci, Castle Rock, Act II, Polichinelle

Olivia Nucci, Castle Rock, Act I, Battle Scene, Soldier

Hope Whitworth, Castle Rock, Act I, Battle Scene, Soldier

Grace Whitworth, Castle Rock

Erin Zellers, Castle Rock, Act I, Party Scene, Cousin

Centennial Citizen

Samantha Warner, Centennial, Act I, Party Scene, Party Boy, Act II, Polichinelles

Rachel Lie, Centennial, Act I, Party Scene, Party Girl, Scene II, Angel, Polichinelles

Jesse Warner, Centennial, Act I, Party Scene, Horn Boy

Silken Kelly, Centennial, Act I, Snow Scene Corps

Madison Grimm, Centennial, Act I, Party Scene, Cousin

Meg MacDonald, Centennial, Act II, Polichinelle

Rachel (Corcoran) Parmer, Centennial, Act I, Battle Scene, Soldier

Jordan Trigg, Centennial, Act I, Battle Scene, Soldier

Littleton Independent

Kristine Padgett, Littleton, Act I, Snow Scene Corps

Kaitlyn Krajicek, Littleton, Act I, Party Scene, Party Girl, Act II, Angel, Polichinelles

Shannon Allen, Littleton, Act I, Party Scene, Horn Boy

Ashley Musick, Littleton, Act I, Party Scene, Party Girl, Act II, Polichinelle

Englewood Herald

Betty Bai, Englewood, Act II, Angel

Alexa Peach, Englewood, Act II, Angel

Jenny Zheng, Englewood, Act II, Polichinelle