For the past few months, Karen’s Dance Academy has been working to perfect their annual ballet performance, The Nutcracker.

“We’ve been preparing every Saturday since the beginning of September,” junior Lauren Nichols says. “We have rehearsals strictly for the Nutcracker and we also practice during our normal classes.”

This popular performance makes its way around every year close to the holidays. This year, the ballet will be held in the Alverson Center for Performing Arts center at the Fowlerville High School on December 5 at 2 p.m. Tickets that are pre-bought at the Karen’s Dance Academy studio or bought at the door cost $15.

“The auditorium gets quite full every year, it’s mostly all family of the dancers,” junior Aubree Byington says. “I’d say that at least a couple hundred people show up.”

At Karen’s Dance Academy, dancers range anywhere from 3 years old all the way up to adults. Usually performances are cut into different age groups, but the element that makes this ballet performance different is that all ages are included.

The dancers are given different parts to be each year. The different parts include the main characters, such as Clara and the Prince/Nutcracker, along with the smaller parts, which vary from flowers to dolls. Many of the dancers even have multiple roles.

“I have more roles this year so there’s a lot more practicing and more pressure put on me, but I think that just helps me be a better dancer,” sophomore Makena Yule says.

A similar sense of unity while speaking to some dancers made it evident that the group is working hard to do well and impress everyone with this performance.

“Everyone in this group is counting on you to do your part, we all need each other,” Yule says.