As wispy figures in bright, sequined outfits dance to the music, the familiar plot of a time-honored ballet unfolds before the audience. Everything-from the characters, to the music, to the story- is familiar, but because it's tradition some people are willing to drive in a cramped car for hours to see The Nutcracker every holiday season. Many more, who are unwilling to go to the inconvenience, must miss out.

But not this year.

The Southwest Washington Dance Center (formerly the Chehalis Ballet Center) will be performing its first major holiday season performance, The Nutcracker, in the R.E. Bennet auditorium December 18-20. Finally, Chehalins may see a popular ballet in the comfort of their own home town. In the words of the director of the SW WA Dance Center, Hugh Richards, "The Nutcracker is a gift from the Southwest Washington Dance Center, a non-profit organization, to the Twin Cities."

Everyone at the dance center is very excited about the upcoming performance. "The entire production includes not only 80 performers, but also about 20 volunteers [on the] production staff, [which] makes this the largest theatrical production ever in Lewis County," said Richards. Although it's a local show, it will have all the flair of a big city production, according to Richards.

Richards is highly esteemed in the ballet circle for his work on the Ballet West and Pacific Northwest Ballet companies. Richards has studied with William Christenson (founder of Ballet West and Artistic Director of the San Francisco Ballet), the man who made the first production of The Nutcracker back in the 1950's. The version that the SW WA Dance Center will be performing is the same version as the original performance, which made The Nutcracker an American tradition.

Sponsors of this production include Washington Orthopedic, Reddi-Mix Cement, Advocate Printing, and KITI. For more information, call (360) 748-4789.