LONG BEACH — For some, the recognizable notes of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker are the official sound of the holiday season. For David Wilcox, they represent another year in a very long tradition.

Wilcox founded the Long Beach Ballet almost four decades ago and the academy presented its first production of The Nutcracker in 1983.

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“Right here in this theater," he said, standing on stage at the Terrace Theater, "and it’s been a 37-year ride since then.” 

And what a ride it’s been. Over the years, the production has grown in size and complexity. More than a choreographer, Wilcox considers himself an entertainer and he pulls out all the bells and whistles to make sure his audiences stay entertained.

“Flying sleigh. Pyrotechnics. Magic tricks," he said. "The last thing I want is for somebody to come in and to sit there bored, falling asleep.”

There’s also a full symphony orchestra that includes not one but two harps – exactly how Tchaikovsky wrote it.

“Only one other company in the country does that and that’s New York City Ballet," Wilcox pointed out.

But of course with any “Nutcracker,” it all comes down to the dancing.  

There are over 270 performers on stage at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center – all but 10 of them students at the academy.

“But you’d never know it," Wilcox said. "You’d think you are watching a full-scale professional production.”

Dancing professionally wouldn’t be a stretch for Audrey Williams. She’s been on her toes since she was three and came here to see the The Nutcracker for the first time when she was seven. It a magical experience for her.

“I had never seen a ballet performance and especially to this spectacle. It was so grand," Williams remembered.

She takes ballet very seriously, practicing six days a week, sometimes more, but all that hard work is paying off. This is her 10th year in the production and she’ll be performing the role of Lead Spanish Dancer. Out there on stage, she loves seeing the little girls watch her from the wings – and remembers vividly what it felt like when she was in their shoes.

“Being in the wings and watching the older girls doing the big roles, it feels very rewarding," Williams said, "and that magic is still there now that I’m an older girl getting to be a lead.”

“They get to stand on the side and watch them with their beautiful tutus and on their point shoes, dancing and dreaming of being on pointe some day," Wilcox said of the dancers who are as young as 4-years-old. "The amount of inspiration and intensity and love in this production is just overpowering.”

The Nutcracker will play seven performances from December 14-22.  Information can be found here.