The Christmas season isn't complete without a performance of "The Nutcracker." This year, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) invited dancers from the Baltimore Ballet School, in Cockeysville, to participate in five performances of the second act of the production at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore.

"This was Baltimore Ballet's first collaboration with the BSO," said Elysabeth Muscat, managing director of the dance company.

For its part, the Baltimore Ballet Company brought "The Nutcracker" to life by showcasing select students, professional company dancers and their very own vibrant costumes. Cem Catbas, director of the company, also performed and choreographed the production.

Featured artists included Evgenia Singur, former principal dancer with Russian State Ballet; Marcella Paiva, current dancer with American Ballet Theatres (ABT) II, winner of the Youth America Grand Prix and the Prix de Lausanne competitions; and Se-Yong Kim, a Baltimore Ballet dancer for the past four years. Several pre-professional students also participated, including Hereford Middle School student Morgan M.

In addition to the BSO production of "The Nutcracker," The Baltimore Ballet has been doing its own annual presentation of the classic since the company was first created eleven years ago.

Held at Goucher College's auditorium, the performance, which runs for two hours and fifteen minutes, consists of 200 Baltimore Ballet dancers. This year, like many past, both shows were sold out.

"We have people already buying tickets for next year's performance," Catbas said. The company is even considering adding an additional " Nutcracker" performance for next year's presentation.

In addition to the "Nutcracker," the Baltimore Ballet has put on many other productions including "Giselle," "Swan Lake" and "Les Sylphides." Catbas has featured his own choreography in several productions including his interpretations of "The Carnival of Animals," "Pictures at an Exhibition," and "A Gershwin Rhapsody."

Baltimore Ballet dancers have also been involved in performances at the Lyric Opera House, the Morris A. Mechanic Theater and Maryland Hall in Annapolis. They have also done outreach shows at local retirement communities.

"The Baltimore Ballet Company and the Baltimore Ballet School are two separate entities under the same roof," Catbas, who also owns the school, said.

The school offers classes for ages 3 to adult with varying levels of experience. They instruct students in different disciplines but have a special focus on classical ballet. The school has eight teachers and around 350 students around. Half the students are from local surrounding areas of Cockeysville, Sparks, Phoenix and Timonium.

The Baltimore Ballet Company is a non-profit organization that arranges company performances. Several dedicated students from the Baltimore Ballet School have gone on to perform for the company.

Baltimore Ballet opened in June of 2000 in Mt. Washington. It relocated to Cockeysville in 2005 in the interest of having studios with more space. They are located at 10534 York Rd., Suite 201 in Cockeysville. For more information on the Baltimore Ballet School, visit www.baltimoreballet.com. For information on the company, visit www.baltimoreballet.org.