A total of 118 young local dancers will join the world-acclaimed Joffrey Ballet beginning today — Dec. 2 — in “Nutcracker at the Fox” on the stage of the historic Fox Theatre in St. Louis in Joffrey’s exquisite nostalgic production of Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic.

Dance St. Louis and Wells Fargo Advisors present “Nutcracker at the Fox” as part of the Wells Fargo Advisors Fox Series. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. today and Friday; at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and at 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday.

The story of the ballet will be read to children in the Fox’s Marquee Room 45 minutes before every performance.

Tickets range from $25 to $75 and are available through MetroTix at (314) 534-1111, online at

and at all MetroTix outlets, including the Fox Theatre box office, 547 N. Grand Blvd.

“Nutcracker at the Fox” is a celebration of children’s dreams, nestled in a Victorian Americana setting. The story begins at a family Christmas party and moves to a moonlit winter forest and the magical realm of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Tchaikovsky’s evergreen music is performed live by the Cambiata Singers of the Kirkwood Children’s Chorale and the Ballet Orchestra of St. Louis.

“You will be transported to a world of sweets and sugarplums within the majesty of the Fox Theatre,” Michael Uthoff, artistic and executive director of Dance St. Louis, stated in a news release.

The local dancers — 59 in each of the six performances — portray party guests, toy soldiers, dolls, mice, little clowns called “polichinelles” and Christmas angels.

The children won their roles at open auditions conducted Sept. 19 and have been rehearsing every weekend since then.

They range in age from 7 to 15 and are from Missouri and Illinois. They attend 88 different elementary, middle and high schools and 34 different dance schools.

Founded in 1956 by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and now directed by Ashley Wheater, the Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance troupes of the world.

Its “Nutcracker” has been a holiday tradition in Chicago ever since the company moved there from New York in 1995. The production tours every other year to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.