Lone Star Ballet presents the timeless tale of 'The Nutcracker'

Lone Star Ballet is inviting the community to celebrate its 51st production of "The Nutcracker" ballet, to be held in the Amarillo Civic Center autitorium Dec. 9-11.

The annual performance is sure to ignite your Christmas spirit with the timeless tale of a young girl exploring the magical land of her dreams. Loosely based on the original E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," the story is about a girl, named Clara, who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and accompanies her as she travels through the Land of Snow and the Land of Sweets while war wages against the evil Mouse King.

"This is just a classic story. It doesn't change, but it's still magical, the tale of a young girl traveling in her dreams," said Roxann Seaton, LSB mistress. "It includes a bit of a love story between her and the Nutcracker. It's just something everyone can relate to or enjoy in some way or another, whether its wanting to travel through your dreams, or finding happiness in the little things. I think that is what makes the story a classic tale and why people come back every year."

As many area individuals attend the ballet each year as a sort of Christmas tradition, many of the cast members have also grown with the production and consider "The Nutcracker" a fundamental part in their ballet career, including graduating high school senior Amaryn Cowen, who is portraying the Snow Queen in this year's performance.

"I've been dancing since I was 2, and with 'The Nutcracker,' I got to work my way up in the roles and showcase how I have progressed over the years. So with this being my potential final year, this is the cherry on top of my ice cream sundae," Cowen said.

Cowen stated that she had been performing as a part of the production for 12 years. She even starred in the leading role as Clara when she was in the eighth grade, along with several other characters throughout the years.

"'The Nutcracker' is an experience like no other. It's different than a traditional ballet, even though it is considered a traditional ballet," Cowen added. "There are so many different moving parts, and the costumes are all over the place and beautiful. It's a lot of fun. There is so much going on, on stage at all times, that viewers are constantly engaged, and it's so visually magical. You are going on the journey as well. It's not just you watching Clara go through this journey; you go with her. Whether you have seen it before or not, it's magical. I think that's also why so many come back."

Abagail TeBeest, portraying Clara, comes back for a second year in the leading role. TeBeest shared that it was actually her viewing "The Nutcracker" as a child that inspired her to pursue ballet.

"We all loved to dance. This is our passion, and I'm excited to show that, to show the audience my passion in such a timeless story. I'm excited for us to give all we have to the audience," TeBeest said. "With this being the 51st year and my playing a leading role, it makes me feel like I'm a part of something more, a part of history, and those before me, (and) a part of the future too. Maybe there will be a little girl in the crowd that will see me dancing and pursue ballet too, continuing the inspiration."

To purchase your tickets to attend this year's production of Lone Star Ballet's "The Nutcracker," go online to https://lonestarballet.org/performances-tickets/ .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Lone Star Ballet welcomes holiday season with 'The Nutcracker'