Scenes from Westport’s Academy of Dance annual production of “The Nutcracker,” performed this weekend at Staples High School. Here, Snow Queen Eliza Gurley, a Staples junior, and Snow King Dajuan Booker, a professional guest dancer, are joined by Snowflakes on stage. / Photos by Dawn Shmaruk
Olivia Jackson, a Kings Highway student, as Fritz, with a cadre of mice. 
Soldier dolls, from left, Kate Bulkeley, Alexis Jacobs and Andi Jacobs, Staples sophomores.

WESTPORT — “The Nutcracker,” a classic of dance and music, steps into the holiday spotlight for a 42nd year, courtesy of Westport’s Academy of Dance.

The ballet, a Christmas season tradition, will be performed for a third time this weekend on Sunday afternoon at Staples High School. (Tickets to the performance are sold out, according to the academy website.)

Fifth-grade girls as party guests.
Photo at left: Snow Queen Eliza Gurley and Snow King Dajuan Booker. Right: Third-graders as blue soldiers.
Snow Queen Eliza Gurley with angels played by first-graders.
Parents of dancers — Paul Michalowski, third from left, and Russ Bulkeley, fourth from right — join the adult cast of professional guest artists in the party scene.
Professional guest artist Carl Ponce Cubero as the Mouse King.
Red and gold soldiers, portrayed by second- and third-graders.
Sutton Bulkeley, an eighth-grader, as Clara.
Snow fairies, from left, third-graders Poppy Cardamone, Sophie Ackerman, Juliette Weik and Sofia Demeo.
Nutcracker doll Michael Requena and Mouse King Carl Ponce Cubero, professional guest artists. 
Clara and the mice.
Eighth-grader Sutton Bulkeley and professional guest artist David Fernandez as Clara and Herr Drosselmeyer.