The Nutcracker decorations are up on Downey Avenue. The Downey Christmas Parade has come through town. The Downey Christmas tree is shining bright. Even palm trees have lights on them.

Some of us were missing Downey’s favorite Santa, the late Mark Keller. But Mark would have been delighted by what recently unfolded in the Downey Theatre.

Dance! To Your Hearts Delight (DTYHD) presented the 20th Annual “The Nutcracker” ballet at the Downey Theatre with four performances to enthusiastic full audiences of all ages. This is the kind of spectacular production that takes the maximum advantage of this fully equipped proscenium theatre and orchestra pit. It was enchanting.

The opening use of the theatre’s unique side stages, designed by John Hume for Downey’s nationally recognized Children’s Theatre, gets a very audible “ahhh” from the audience as they

enthusiastically wave back at the characters entering on stage. The audience is off and running as active vocal participants. Curtains unfold beautiful background drops, and set pieces. There are dazzling costumes designed by Natasha Quintiliani. Throughout there are cheers and “whoops” of delight.

Little children squeak and squeal, especially at the dancing mice, seeing themselves reflected onstage. This is one of the few dance companies that allow children as young as two years old to attend.

Kelly Myers has a huge responsibility as Director and Choreographer. Not only does she have a keen artist’s eye for stage composition, but she has the gift of storytelling through movement.

Myers reminds us that even community productions of the performing arts don’t come cheap. Raising their own funds, the budget for mounting these performances in the Downey Theatre is $85,000. A gift for Downey.

“The Nutcracker” features the famous score by Tchaikovsky performed by a live orchestra. A young girl has a very special Christmas. At a fun filled family party with dancing, magic, and dolls that come to life, Clara receives a special gift: a Nutcracker. That night she dreams of an epic battle between mice and toys, a magical journey to the Kingdom of Sweets, where she dances with her Prince and meets the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy.

I’ve seen a number of productions of this ballet, including last year’s performance at the Downey Theatre. A family, during intermission, told me that they have seen decades of different productions. Their impression was this was the best they had ever seen. For them it was not only the fine performances, but also the appeal of the wide range of ages onstage and in the audience. I tend to agree.

A woman seated next to me told me she was a teacher of many of the older teenagers performing. At the curtain call, eagerly pointing out her splendid students.

When I was the School and Arts Administrator responsible for Curriculum and Instruction at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), I realized the academic or arts discipline I knew least about was dance. I spent extra time observing dance classes, rehearsals and performances. We held high expectations on all of our students. But the discipline, strength and physical demands of dance made a huge impression on me.

The actor’s instrument may be his body. But the dancer is fully committed. Case in point, Tayla Banayan (age 16) who has played Clara for six years, was sidelined by an injury this year, but still committed to a standing role in the large group scenes.

Her brother, Tyler Banayan (age 10) was back as Fritz for the third year in a row, double cast with Athena Howard (age 10).

This Nutcracker has more than 70 talented student dancers, from tots to adults. Besides weekly classes, they have been in rehearsals on the weekends since August. They are an ensemble. Focused. With precise movements, gestures, and expressive faces. An orchestra member tells me later that she was so very touched by the young performers backstage encouraging each other to do well.

The program notes are peppered with enthusiastic personal notes from the young dancers age six to seventeen about this experience as their first to twelfth performance in the ballet.

We have talented professional dancers who have performed around the globe too. Megan Loman as the Sugar Plum Fairy is breathtaking , as is Mauricio Vera Nunez as the Cavalier.

The veteran dancer and teacher, Jerec Velez, is commanding in his 20th year as Drosselmeyer. Shout out to the other principals: Olivia Hong (age 12) as Clara; Nina Quintilliani (age 15) double cast as Clara; and Kent Lohman (age 16) as the Soldier Doll, and Nutcracker in his 6th year. Amara Howard (age 17), in her fifth and final year, was a knockout as The Harlequin.

We are reminded how well the sound can be in this theatre. There is a wonderful orchestra of 46 professional musicians let by Maestro Branden Muresan filling the theatre with sublime melodies. During intermission adults and children are humming tunes.

DTYHD is a unique arts nonprofit, an offshoot of the Tustin Dance Center.

Myers reminds us that productions of the community performing arts don’t come cheap. The budget for mounting these performances in the Downey Theatre is $85,000.

Myers is the director of the Tustin Dance Center. After dancing professionally, she earned her BA in dance from UCI, began teaching 29 years ago, and has operated the Tustin Dance Center for 12 years.

DTYHD donated hundreds of tickets to their private first performance to community organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs; Girls, Inc; Make A Wish; Big Brothers, Big Sisters; Child Guidance Center; CASA; Mercy House; and others; to open their hearts and minds to the beauty of dance and the fine arts.

Talented cast performs inspiring production of The Nutcracker