An elegant and sophisticated production, with just the right amount of amateur charm, delighted hundreds of audience members Dec. 9 and Saturday as Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s SKIES Unlimited put on the timeless classic “The Nutcracker.”

The more than 40-member cast of children and adults pirouetted and promenaded, performing JBLM’s first full-length production of the ballet that is for many a primary part of the holiday season.

“It is amazing what these kids can do and all the smiles on their faces; you could tell they were having fun,” said Linda Bordwell of Spokane after she watched with her 72-year-old husband, Duane, as their grandchildren, Anastasia and Jameson Bordwell performed.

Nine-year-old Anastasia portrayed Clara, the lead role in the production. Jameson, 5, played the role of Clara’s little brother, Fritz, as well as a clown and soldier in other portions of the show.

Jameson appropriately stole the audience’s attention several times, including when he, as Fritz, chased his older sister with a faux mouse, prior to Clara’s falling asleep in front of the Christmas tree and dreaming the bulk of the ballet. That romp is what precipitated her dream’s battle between a pack of mice and the Nutcracker and his soldiers.

The Nutcracker is a wooden toy that comes to life in Clara’s dream. The young actor portraying the character, 11-year-old Kyle Wittman, also impressed the crowd as he stoically in character accompanied the enchanting Clara and also danced and battled the Mouse King — portrayed by the production’s co-director, Melissa “Mel” Massey-Maroni.

Also a crowd-pleaser was the exquisite dancing of ballerina Abbey Moorehead in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Moorehead has been dancing since she was 3 years old and now, at 21, she’s a ballet teacher at SKIES Unlimited.

“I love to teach,” she said of why she’s not pursuing a professional career in the dance world. “I’m so proud of how these kids did tonight,” she said after the Friday night performance.

One of the amazing dancers in the show was 10-year-old Skyler Ostendorf, whose dad, Sgt. Todd Ostendorf, 56th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 62nd Medical Brigade, also held his own on dancing with other adult and child party guests during of the show.

Skyler, who hopes to be a professional dancer with the New York City Ballet someday, held the attention of the crowd as he performed separate solo dances as both a Russian and Spanish dancer.

The costuming was dazzling and sets, though minimal, made for an atmosphere of holiday cheer.

One of several group ensembles in the production was the dance of the snowflakes, performed by several lovely young ladies in white. One of the youngest dancers was 4-year-old Isis Serna, the daughter of Staff Sgt. Luis Serna, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade.

Serna was beaming after the show as he waited for his daughter to come off stage.

“She did outstanding and I couldn’t be more proud,” he said.