Now that it is beginning to feel like winter, it is time to celebrate the holiday tradition of the classic tale The Nutcracker.

The North Carolina Dance Theatre (NCDT), with more than 60 local dance students, will perform Peter Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker at 7:30 tonight in Eisenhower Auditorium.

"There is a very high energy level and talent level," said Chris Cooper, director of communications for the NCDT. "It will be a great show for kids."

Not only will children enjoy the show from the audience, but local children will be performing as well. Laura Sullivan, spokeswoman for the Center for the Performing Arts, said the local children would be playing the parts of party children, soldiers or mice.

"The company always uses local children in their performances," Sullivan said. "They send out a team early, teach the choreography here and get together with the children the day before the performance for rehearsal. It all just comes together then."

Local dancers are often included with other dance companies at Eisenhower, and there is a huge number of volunteers needed to coordinate the performance, Sullivan said. "[The performance] gives young people interesting things to do, and it is a great performing experience for people," said George Trudeau, director of the Center for the Performing Arts. "Students get a great sense of what it takes to put a production together and perform it on a big stage."

Nine-year-old Nastassja Moeck is one of the many student dancers with the Arts Conservatory of Central Pennsylvania in the performance. This is their first time dancing with the NCDT.

"I learn a lot at rehearsal," she said. "My teacher might tell me one thing and then the instructor from the ballet company might tell me another, so I see things from different points of view."

Anna Gerberich is a 16-year-old dancer with the NCDT. Playing Clara's friend, a snowflake and a Chinese doll, this is her first year performing The Nutcracker as an official member of the company. Gerberich said the performances are very action-packed and entertaining, and there is always something going on onstage.

"There is some humor in it, and people can really relate to it," Gerberich said. "The audience will be on the edge of its seats the entire time because so much is going on, and it is so breathtaking and amazing."

This is the first time that the NCDT was chosen to perform at Eisenhower Auditorium by Trudeau. "I have seen some of their performances but not The Nutcracker," Trudeau said. "However, I have good friends and colleagues who have seen it, and I trust their good judgment and feel comfortable bringing the company to Penn State."

The well-known dancer and director, Salvatore Aiello, created the choreography that the NCDT uses for The Nutcracker, which incorporates more dancing than traditional movement.

With the creative choreography and the traditional story line, The Nutcracker performance will include 34 artists and apprentices from the company, 20 members of behind-the-scenes staff and 48 local children, Cooper said.

"When North Carolina Dance Theatre performs The Nutcracker, it's magical," Cooper said. "At the end of the performance when you walk out of the theater, you see children twirling and jumping as they try to imitate the dancers."