Salt Creek Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” returns to the McAninch Arts Center in Glen Ellyn for five performances this holiday season.

The performances are at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 19 and at 1 and 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 20 and Sunday, Dec. 21.

New Philharmonic, under the baton of Maestro Kirk Muspratt, will perform Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic “Nutcracker” score live for this full-scale, lavish production with dazzling sets, 125 costumes, a Christmas tree that can grow to a height of 58 feet and a company of 90 dancers, including professional guest artists and student dancers from Salt Creek Ballet, according to a news release .

After her family’s Christmas Eve celebration draws to a close, Clara drifts into a dream that carries her into a magical world—one in which she becomes a Princess. Guided by the Nutcracker Prince, Princess Clara journeys through a shimmering kingdom of dancing snowflakes and is welcomed by the Sugar Plum Fairy, who presents an array of enchanting dances from faraway lands. The Chicago Tribune calls Salt Creek Ballet’s production “a real treat.”