PUPILS from Nicola Peros Ballet are preparing for their Christmas production of The Nutcracker.

Watch The Nutcracker at the Memorial Hall, Barry on Sunday, December 6.

The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story, The Nutcracker and the King of Mice, written by E T A Hoffman and set to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The story is of a young German girl, Clara who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King.

The story starts on Christmas Eve at Clara’s home - the Stahlbaum house. The Stahlbaum's are hosting their annual Christmas party, welcoming the arrival of their family and friends.

The children, Clara and Fritz, are dancing and playing as they welcome their friends too. Clara’s godfather Drosselmeyer arrives and presents her with a nutcracker doll.

What follows is a magical dream that involves a fight between the Mouse King and the Nutcracker Doll which comes to life and then turns into The Nutcracker Prince.

Clara is then taken on a journey through the Land of Snow to the Land of Sweets by the Nutcracker Prince finally ending up back at her home having then realised that her dream has come to an end.

The Nutcracker is one of a number of productions that Nicola Peros Ballet has staged over the years. The School is rapidly acquiring a reputation for being one of the most successful dance schools in South Wales with students going on to win places at some of the most prestigious ballet schools in the country including The Royal Ballet School, Elmhurst School for Dance and The Hammond School.

Promising students have also been selected to take part on Associate Programmes with The Royal Ballet School, English National Ballet School and Ballet Cymru as well as being chosen to perform with the National Youth Ballet.

Nicola teaches at St Nicholas Hall in Barry and on Cowbridge Road in Cardiff with classes for both children and adults. With an emphasis on developing good technique, her classes follow the RAD Syllabus through all the grades up to Intermediate and Advanced levels.

For further information visit the website nicolaperosballet.com or email info@nicolaperosballet.com or telephone 01446 721899/07850 741136.

Contact Nicola Peros on the above details for tickets. Doors open at 7pm with the show starting at 7.30pm.