The Moscow Ballet's "The Great Russian Nutcracker" hasn't visited Cape Girardeau since 2003, when a production at the Show Me Center competed with performances of "The Nutcracker" by the Minnesota Ballet at Academic Auditorium. This year the Moscow Ballet has "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" all to itself in the city's new state-of-the-art performance hall.

The holiday ballet will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Dec. 13 at the Bedell Performance Hall at the Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus.

Producer Akiva Talmi said the opportunity to present the ballet in the new performance hall drew the ballet back to Cape Girardeau. About half the tickets for the two performances had been sold as of earlier this week.

The Moscow Ballet production differs from the traditional "Nutcracker" in that the Clara character is named Masha and travels to the Land of Peace and Harmony instead of the Land of Sweets. The production is noted for its huge puppets, Henri Rousseau-inspired sets and for inviting young local dancers to perform on stage alongside the 45 Russian professionals.

This year 61 local children and teenagers will portray Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian and Arabian dancers along with mice, butterflies, angels, snowflakes and children at the party. Dancers are being taught by their teachers at Dance Extentions in Jackson, the Academy of Dance Arts in Cape Girardeau, Piroutete's Studio in Chester, Ill., Patti Simmons' School of Dance in Sikeston, Mo., and the Sikeston Academy of Dance.

Jackie Robertson, owner of Dance Extensions, is teaching 36 of the dancers their parts. Twenty-one-year-old Amanda Morrow, who teaches at the studio now, was a Spanish dancer in one of the previous productions. Another Dance Extensions student, Claire Gillard was in the production as a little girl. She is a Spanish dancer this time at age 13.

The dancers will be fitted for their costumes and get just one chance to rehearse with the Moscow Ballet the afternoon of Wednesday's first performance. For most, this will be their first experience with a professional company. "One of the biggest challenges for a young dancer is not to watch while they're dancing," Robertson said.

Terri and Bruce Smith's daughter Megan is an understudy for a party girl the first night and has the part of a Russian dancer the second night. The 9-year-old Immaculate Conception student takes hip-hop, jazz and ballet classes at the school in addition to rehearsing for "The Great Russian Nutcracker." That brings the family to the studio four days a week.

The Jackson girl was so young she could only watch the production last time. She was ready this time. "She was so excited that she could do it," Terri said.

Lindsy Hawkins, 10, of Morley, Mo., will dance the part of an angel. The daughter of Teresa and Matt Hawkins has been dancing since she was 3. Her mother doesn't mind the 30-minute drive to and from the seven rehearsals before the performance. "This is a lifetime opportunity," Teresa said.

Lindsy wants to grow up to be a dancer. "She wants to dance with Hannah Montana," her mother said.

Local performers

Area children who will perform in "The Great Russian Nutcracker" with the Moscow Ballet include:

• Breanna Kinder, 9, Sierra Hughes, 11, Lindsey Breer, 9, Sidney Robertson, 10, Tori Baker, 12, Jacquelyn Kiefner, 11, Anne Unger, 9, Melissa Colyer, 14, Jessica M. Peters, 12, Rachel Colyer, 14, Katelyn Robertson, 8, Claire Gillard, 13, Catie Dovin, 10, Joanna Lee, 14, Stacey Hinkebein, 17, Megan Smith, 9, Leah Hecht, 9, Lacie Robinson, 12, Skyler Hornbeak, 8, Katelynn Pensel, 11, Julia Weber, 14, Larissa Augdon Bell, 5, Jasmine Jones, 7, Taylor Smith, 9, and Makayla Marie Brown, 7, all of Jackson.
• Christen Siebert, 11, Bailey Schnurbusch, 12, Andrea Younghouse, 11, Reagan Kapp, 11, Maris Parker, 12, Candace Monia, 12, Emily Fogus, 12, Sarah Stroup, 12, Alexis Yancey, 9, Chelsea Hastings, 12, Alyssa Ogle, 8, Caitlyn Dumey, 8, Kelly Kapp, 13, Lindsay Parker, 8, Savanna Bellew, 7, Kyra Nichole Laubach, 5, Caitlyn Limbaugh, 8, Sierra Sedgwick, 9, and Madalyn Henderson, 8, all of Cape Girardeau.
• Caroline Kasten, 11, and Drew Kasten, 7, both of Millersville.
• Anna Lanpher, 11, of Advance.
• Andrea R. Fischer, 12, of Oak Ridge.
• Hailey Bedell, 11, Lauren Eby, 9, and Audrey Maureen Keller, 8, of Sikeston.
• Molly Noe, 11, and Shelby Holton, 13, both of Perryville.
• Aria Parker, 11, and Lindsy Taylor Hawkins, 9, both of Morley.
• Aleigh Roberts, 9, of Gordonville.
• Cassy Spane, 8, of Chaffee.
• Amber Carter, 8, and Malaysia Caery, 9, both of East Prairie.
• Madelynne Kate Ohmes, 8, of Charleston.
• Katie Grace Gibson, 16, of Dexter.