FOR THE KIDS : Holiday Ballet to Bring Visions of Sugar Plum Fairies to Life : Three versions of the beloved ‘Nutcracker’ will be staged by dance companies in Ventura County.

As sure as the holiday season rolls around every year, so does “The Nutcracker” ballet. It’s the perennial Christmas story that has everything from sugar plum fairies to dancing mice.

But this year, the traditional Oxnard production by the Channel Islands Ballet Company and the Ventura County Symphony isn’t the only “Nutcracker” around.

“Nutcrackers” have blossomed in Ventura and Santa Paula--neither as lavish or expensive as the Oxnard production, now in its 14th year. On top of that, the movie “The Nutcracker,” featuring the New York City Ballet, came out this week.

If you want all the razzle-dazzle that the ballet has to offer, the Oxnard production is the one to see. It has live music, a giant growing Christmas tree and new choreography performed by a cast of more than 100.

It opens Friday and runs through the weekend at the Oxnard Civic Auditorium. Tickets for the full-length, $93,000 production range from $10 to $27.50.

If cost is a factor and there is only so much of “The Nutcracker” that you can take, consider the production offered by Pacific Coast Ballet in Ventura.

Dancers will do a shorter version of the ballet, running about 40 minutes, while the second half of the program is devoted to other original works performed by Plexus Dance Theatre of Ventura and Gustafson Dance Theatre of Santa Barbara.

During a unique intermission, Cabrillo Music Theatre will be singing carols, and artists from Art City will have their works on display.

It all happens at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 and 3 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Buena High School auditorium in Ventura. Tickets are $10.

Dancers Christopher and Suzanne Adkins, who opened Pacific Coast Ballet in July, wanted to offer a more affordable “Nutcracker” that would be within the reach of more people, they said.

“We want to get young people enthusiastic about theater,” Suzanne Adkins said. “The ‘Nutcracker’ is a good introduction to theater.”

Neither is a stranger to the ballet. She has performed assorted “Nutcracker” roles since she was 11, and he has eight or nine productions to his credit.

She studied with the Royal Ballet School in London before going on to dance professionally with several ballet companies. In San Diego, she was assistant director for New West Ballet Theatre’s “Nutcracker” production. Her husband, who sang and danced with “Up With People,” also taught dance at New West.

Their abridged “Nutcracker” features a cast of 40, including students and professionals. Mariah Smith, 9, of Ventura plays the role of Clara, the girl who is the focus of the ballet, set in turn-of-the-century Germany. Guest artists include Ruth Ziegler, Nicole Comella, Kelly Foy, John Tally and Jan Fonseca.

The Adkinses hope to make the ballet an annual event.

In Santa Paula, the ballet department of Jill Johnson’s Dance Studio is gearing up for its first “Nutcracker” production at the Santa Paula Theatre Center.

Three full-length performances are scheduled at 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 18 and 2 p.m. Dec. 19. Tickets are $7 if purchased in advance from the school or $10 at the door.

The 57-member cast is under the direction of Jeannette Marchais, formerly a dancer and instructor with Channel Islands Ballet Company.

Marcie Griffiths, 11, plays Clara, who goes to sleep after a gala Christmas party and dreams wondrous things. Guest artist is Monica Galindo of Oxnard as the Sugar Plum Fairy.

This year’s all-new production by Channel Islands Ballet Company follows the original tale more closely, according to organizers.

The music will be provided, as usual, by the Ventura County Symphony, under the direction of Greg Fried.

The ballet was newly choreographed by Clarissa Boeriu, who took over last year as artistic director of the ballet company and the Ballet Ventura school.

In this year’s production, 13-year-old Holly Messer will dance the role of the young Clara, while the grown-up Clara will be played by Kirsten Oakley of Ventura (she is a principal dancer with the Et Toi Tu Danse Company in Milwaukee). Peter Schetters, an instructor with Ballet Ventura and former principal with the Dutch National Ballet, will be the cavalier. Monica Galindo will be the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The production includes numerous other professionals and several young students from Ballet Ventura, among them Stephanie Bowles, Sarah Corrales, Rebecca Dahl, Jasmine Ejan, Leah Langelier, Susie Longwill, Megan Phillips, Sabrina Rosengren, Vanessa Stowers and Amy Womer.

ALSO

“Curious George,” the little monkey whose curiosity always lands him in hot water, bounds into Ventura on Friday in a new musical production by New York-based Theatreworks/USA.

The show, based on the beloved children’s book character, will be presented at Buena High School, 5670 Telegraph Road, at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are $10 for children, $12 for adults; $1 more at the door. To charge by phone, call 650-5900; for information, call 646-6997.

Details

* WHERE & WHEN: Variations of the “The Nutcracker” ballet will be offered in three Ventura County locations during the holiday season.

Channel Islands Ballet Company/Ventura County Symphony Assn. production, Oxnard Civic Auditorium, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard. 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $27.50, $22.50, $16, $10. For information, 643-8646.

Pacific Coast Ballet, Buena High School auditorium, 5670 Telegraph Road, Ventura. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, 3 p.m. Dec. 12. Tickets: $10. For information, 339-9456.

Jill Johnson’s Dance Studio, Santa Paula Theatre Center, 125 S. 7th St., Santa Paula. 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 18, 2 p.m. Dec. 19. Tickets: $7 in advance at the school or $10 at the door.