(cheerful music) - Ballet West's "Nutcracker" is the original full-length production created by Willam Christensen in 1944.

It's now recognized as a Utah living historic landmark.

And here to tell us more is principal rehearsal director Jane Wood.

Hi, Jane.

- Hi.

- Thank you so much for being here.

- Thanks for having me.

- I've watched you dance many a time, so, nice to see you.

So tell me about this living historic landmark designation.

That's a big deal.

- We were given this honor last year.

Our state senator suggested it, and a bill was passed, and they gave us the living landmark, historic living landmark, which is the first in the country.

So it's a great honor to be the first and the first "Nutcracker" that was done in the United States.

So I think it ties together really well.

- Ah, beautiful, yeah, because this production is 80 years old.

It's been going on for... I mean, it's a family tradition, let's face it's.

It's a huge Utah tradition.

- It is.

- And it's changed a bit over the years, not a lot.

- Not a lot, we've kept it pretty close to the original, a few little things, social things that needed to change from so long ago, but we've tried to keep the steps the same, much of it.

So most of it is just what Mr.

C wanted.

- Which is great.

- Yeah.

- Great.

And I know that over the course of this production, there are 300 children involved.

- There are.

There are four casts.

There are approximately 70, 75 per show.

It includes the kids in the party scene.

There are little buffoons.

There are soldiers.

There are little mice.

There's all kinds of characters.

And the kids audition in the fall, and they work for three months to get their steps right.

And then they come together with the company, and it's huge, huge production.

- It is huge.

And you've got, I know, incredible costumes, and then there's the Tchaikovsky score.

So what's not to love?

- Exactly, there's something for everybody in this production, the music, the sets, the scenery, the costumes, the dancing.

- Yeah, all of it.

- It's beautiful.

- Well, thank you so much for being here, and congratulations on it.

- Thank you.

- And if you'd like to know more about "The Nutcracker" by Ballet West, it goes now through December 27th in the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theater.

Go to balletwest.org, balletwest.org.

I'm Mary Dickson.

Thanks for watching "Contact."

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