As the first weekend of December rolls around once again, families across Texarkana anticipate the annual return of the Nutcracker, a production put on each year by the Texarkana Community Ballet. This performance showcases dancers citywide, and gives participants a unique opportunity to connect with other ballet dancers across their city.
On Aug. 31, 2025, ballerinas across Texarkana tied up their pointe shoes and headed to the Beech Street gym to prepare for auditions. During the auditions, dancers perform a variety of skills that showcase their flexibility, technique and stamina. Ultimately, the performance given in auditions by each dancer determines the role they will play in the production.
“[During Nutcracker auditions], you go in with the number they give you and then you wait in the lobby,” freshman Aliyah Davis said. “Once everyone is there, you go inside and do bar [exercises] on folding chairs. Then, [we] do stuff across the floor, like jumps and turns, and she gives [us] patterns with more positions to make sure you know the routine.”
For many dancers, the role they receive holds a special place in their heart and they look forward to taking on a new position each year. That said, occasionally dancers gain an opportunity to perform the same role multiple years in a row.
“[Playing the Harlequin doll multiple times] is actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be because we got to add more challenging stuff to my choreography,” junior Francie Hays said. “This year, there’s a boy doll also, along with the ballerina doll. Me and him get to do some partner work, which is cool and different.”
Throughout the rehearsal process of the production, dancers attend weekly rehearsals at the studio assigned to them based on their role. During rehearsals, dancers learn their routine and prepare for show week.
“[The most challenging part of the rehearsal process] for me is probably just having to cram all these like lessons into like a few weeks,” junior Laney Russ said. “[Another challenging aspect of the production would be] having to put together a whole dance with not a big amount of time.”
Though the tradition of the Nutcracker in Texarkana proves to be a prominent event in the community each year, the Texarkana Community Ballet (TCB) does not extend its invitation to all dancers, and several studios in the area do not meet the organization’s requirements to participate. One studio in the Texarkana area, Young Artistry Movement (YAM), made the decision to use their exclusion from the community wide production as an opportunity to promote a versatile and inviting environment for their dancers. Instead of closing the curtain entirely on the opportunity to perform in a unique Christmas production, YAM will be performing their own rendition of the Nutcracker this Christmas season.
“YAM respects every organization’s right to structure their programs however they see fit, and the Texarkana Community Ballet has its own traditions and requirements. Because our format didn’t fit within their eligibility parameters, our artists were not able to audition as a full studio,” YAM contract instructor Jordan High said. “Even though many of them have the technique, artistry, and experience to perform at a high level, we did not view this as a setback. Instead, we chose to create a new opportunity — one that celebrates the skills, diversity, and passion of our artists in a fresh, modern way.”
In YAM’s unique twist on the holiday classic, the studio hopes to embody a variety of themes that may be overlooked in the traditional production.
“While we honor the spirit of the original story and Texarkana vision, our rendition focuses heavily on imagination, transformation, and the modern young artist,” High said. “We’ve woven in themes of bravery, identity, and community — showing Clara not just as a dreamer, but as a capable, confident hero navigating a world alive with dance. The storyline and choreography spotlight athleticism, versatility, and the evolution of dance as an art form.”
During the casting process, the YAM casting team looked for dancers that fit their standard of professionalism, determination and work ethic.
“We approached casting the same way we train our artists: with professionalism and intent. Every artist, ages 4-18, went through a full audition process for their roles, demonstrating technique, performance quality, character work, and storytelling ability, as well as interview and chemistry compatibility,” High said. “A team of auditioners based the cast not only on skill but on an artist’s ability to carry the emotional and theatrical weight of each role. Because our program cultivates professional performers, casting [allows] us to highlight artists who excel in acting and expression as much as in classical technique.”
Although the heart of the Nutcracker ballet revolves around ballet techniques, YAM will implement a variety of dance styles, truly captivating the modern twists in their staging.
“The production is a blend of classical foundations with contemporary, jazz, ballroom, hip-hop, and commercial dance influences, [and] we also incorporated global inspiration into our performance, celebrating cultural diversity with respect, authenticity, and artistry,” High said. “The goal is to give artists exposure to a true multidisciplinary performance environment, [which is] the type of work they’ll encounter in auditions, college programs, and professional contracts.”
During the process of YAM’s take on the Nutcracker, instructors aspire to tell a story to their dancers of more than just dance. The primary intent behind their production lies at the heart of reminding dancers that just because one door closes, that does not mean that a different one won’t open, ultimately encouraging dancers to view situations in a more positive light.
“We hope this experience reinforces the mindset of our artists, [and] we want to instill that they are capable of excellence — not just in a class or on a competition stage, but in full-length storytelling,” High said. “We want them to walk away with an experience and performance opportunities, helping them grow their artistry and character work, and creating pieces they can proudly use for auditions and portfolios. We want them to gain a sense of belonging and visibility within the arts community, and above all, we want them to feel seen, valued, and celebrated.”
No matter what rendition of the Nutcracker a studio or community decides to take on, each version allows dancers to obtain special memories that will be carried with them throughout the entirety of their lives.
“My favorite part about Nutcracker is just seeing all the girls and having so much fun,” Russ said. “[I also enjoy] creating new friendships and getting to rekindle with friends that I haven’t seen since the year before.”
