The Beth Fowler Dance Company and Beth Fowler School of Dance will present its 32nd annual performance of “The Nutcracker Ballet” to celebrate the holidays.

Performances start at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 and 7 at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St., DeKalb.

The ballet, featuring the music of Tchaikovsky, tells the story of Clara, who receives a toy soldier nutcracker during her family’s Christmas party. Her dreams take her to a world where the nutcracker comes to life and defeats the Rat King during a midnight battle. The Nutcracker transforms into a prince and escorts Clara on an adventure to the Land of Sweets.

Beth Fowler, artistic director and founder of the Dance Company and the dance school, said the annual production always ranks among her favorite times of the year, as she and her dancers and production team welcome the community to once again soak in the wonder of this dazzling performance.

“The Christmas season is always so special and magical,” Fowler said in a news release. “And that’s even more true at the Egyptian Theatre, which is always so beautiful and festive.”

The Beth Fowler Dance Company’s “Nutcracker” will feature local dancers and performers from surrounding communities.

Maddy Shannon will play Clara.

Shannon said getting the opportunity to dance the role has been a dream for her since her first time performing in a “Nutcracker” production in the third grade.

Shannon said the role is demanding, requiring many hours of rehearsals, getting every movement and expression just right.

But she said the magic that ultimately flows through the show and inspires those in the auditorium makes all the work worthwhile.

“I’m not only surrounded by the magic of ‘Nutcracker,’ but I actually get to be the one experiencing it,” Shannon said in the news release. “The best part of being Clara is I get to be that young girl again, watching her Prince Charming become a reality.

“Nothing’s more exciting than being able to tell that story to the audience and let them feel the magic I experience on stage.”

Elliana Oleksyn will dance the role of the Christmas Fairy.

“Christmas is my favorite holiday,” Oleksyn said in the release. “I love how ‘The Nutcracker’ has always been a holiday tradition. It’s nostalgic, but every year I’ve gotten to grow and perform different parts.”

Oleksyn said the many years of watching others perform the role has helped prepare her for such a moment.

“Watching Christmas Fairy, especially when I was younger, inspired me to become the dancer I am today,” Oleksyn said in the release. “I really looked up to the older Company dancers and to know that there’s younger kids looking up to me now, it pushes me to be a better inspiration and to bring the magic to the story.”

Oleksyn will take her final bow as a graduating senior member of the Fowler Dance Company in “The Nutcracker.”

“I’m grateful that on my final show, I get to be the first and last dancer on stage and am really able to take it all in,” Oleksyn also said in the news release. “‘Nutcracker’ has always been my favorite show, so it’s hard to comprehend that this is my last one.”

This year’s show will also be the final “Nutcracker” for other longtime Beth Fowler School of Dance veteran dancers including Chaela Bilyk.

Bilyk will dance the roles of both the Chinese Tea soloist and the Russian Doll.

“It’s crazy to me that I’m getting to step into a role I’ve seen so many other girls dance before,” Bilyk said in the release. “I’ve learned over my years watching those other dancers perform is that the role might look easy and light when you’re watching it, but these are definitely roles that require strength, control and stamina.”

“It definitely feels bittersweet,” Bilyk said in the release. “’The Nutcracker’ has been such a big part of my life for so many years.

“Mostly, I’m grateful that I’ve been able to grow up in this production. It’s a mix of emotions, but I’m excited for the future, because I know BFSD has shaped me well for what’s coming next.”

Beth Fowler Dance Company alumnus Lorraine Robinson will return to the Egyptian Theatre stage in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. She currently is training to become a professional dancer as a contemporary ballet trainee for the Grainger Academy of the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago.

Robinson said she is excited to once again take on the challenging role.

“As I progress in my technique, I get more opportunities to show and truly perform the role,” Robinson said in the release.

She said she was particularly excited to join the Fowler Company for the annual holiday production once more.

“‘The Nutcracker’ is a seasonal classic, something everyone waits for,” Robinson said in the release. “So getting to be a part of that experience for so many people is so rewarding.”

Robinson said, for her, rejoining the Fowler Company is like coming home.

The rest of the cast features Ben Fowler as the Sugar Plum Cavalier and Snow King, Iris Windsor as the Snow Queen, Mykah Lorenty and Wesley Meier as Fritz, Sophia Carbonara as Rose Queen, Veronica Young and Delilah Vergara as the Rat King, Addie Goettel and Kaitlyn Doyle as the Nutcracker Doll, Mia Biesiadecki as the Arabian Queen, Brandon Fowler as Herr Drosselmeyer and the Arabian King, Veronica Young as the Chinese Tea soloist, and Jen Flatland and Kohlman Steuber as the Arabian King and Queen. The production also will include company soloists and Beth Fowler School of Dance students.

Children’s tickets include a meet-and-greet opportunity backstage after the show for a keepsake photo with the cast.

Tickets are available to buy. To buy tickets, call 815-758-1225 or visit EgyptianTheatre.org.