Everyone loves those delightful Christmas crackers. Not the ones you pull
at the dinner table that pop open to reveal little prizes and colorful paper
crowns, but the other kind — the nutty ones. Of course, I’m talking about
the quintessential Christmastime ballet, The Nutcracker, performed every
year by local dance companies. Two of the bigger productions are North
Coast Dance’s The Nutcracker, continuing this weekend at the Arkley
Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m., Saturday,
Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m. ($15-$40). Seeing this
classic ballet in that beautiful performance space is a Christmas tradition
not to be missed. Get tickets online at northcoastdance.org.  The other big production — billed as “the only full traditional Nutcracker Ballet on the North Coast,” is Sundance Ballet Company’s The Nutcracker playing
Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m. at Van
Duzer Theatre ($25, $20 children 12 and under, $20/$15 advance). Both
shows should be top notch and sure to fill you with that happy
Christmastime feeling. Also on the “holiday dance” dance card this year is
No Limits Dance Academy’s original holiday dance production Candy
Cane Lane, playing Saturday, Dec. 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. and Sunday,
Dec. 18, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Eureka High School Auditorium ($23 ages
12 and up at the door, $20 ages 3-11 and 65+ at the door, 2 and under
free), and O Come Emmanuel, a ballet concert presented by Ballet
Emmaus, resident company of McKinleyville's Trinity Ballet Academy,
takes place on Thursday, Dec. 22, at 7:15 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church
($10 suggested donation). Please no children under 4 for this one (except
baby Jesus).