Wichita dance companies love tradition of The Nutcracker. Here’s where you can see them.

There are some holiday traditions that are treated with a groan, an eyeroll and the whispered utterance of “Not this again!”

And then there is “The Nutcracker.”

The classic holiday fairy tale ballet, which debuted 130 years ago this Christmas, is greeted with open arms by the three Wichita dance companies which are staging it this season.

“I look at it as an incredible joy to get to do it every year,” said Jill Landrith, whose Metropolitan Ballet performs the piece this weekend at Century II concert hall. “Having participated in decades worth of ‘Nutcrackers’ I still look forward to it every year – the rehearsal process, the whole aspect of getting to work with the dancers, getting to create, seeing what they do with the creation. It’s always exciting.”

Jana Owen from Dance Mechanix said that her performers, most of whom range in age from 6 to 18, like returning to “Nutcracker” and advancing in roles as they get older.

“There’s something about tradition and repetition that feels good to ballet dancers,” she said. “Every year it feels normal for us to have that repetition. Every year you see dancers go from being a mouse to being a gingerbread cookie to a candy cane to snow court to Sugar Plum Fairy, it’s rewarding for them and it’s rewarding for us as teachers — and a super neat experience for parents.”

David Justin, artistic director of Ballet Wichita, said the repetition is welcome for the audience as well as the dancers.

“Like any good art, it’s good to see it more than once,” he said. “How many times have you seen a picture of the Mona Lisa, right?”

Metropolitan Ballet’s “Nutcracker” will include guest performances by Ingrid Silva and Dylan Santos from the Dance Theatre of Harlem as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her cavalier.

Landrith is directing 73 dancers in largely new choreography.

“I like to choreograph and create on the dancers I have in front of me,” she said. “Some things stay the same, but I like to challenge my dancers as well and give them something to work on.”

Landrith said she considers Metropolitan’s a traditional production.

“We utilize dancers from all over the community, which gives us a wonderful energy,” she said.

Midwest Dance Mechanix, which began in 2010, goes the opposite route in its fourth “Short and Suite Nutcracker.”

Owen said the abbreviated version runs 60-75 minutes, including an intermission.

“It is all of the character parts, all of the show and waltz and candy and those types of things, but it is really meant for those who are younger or young at heart,” she said. “We realize sometimes going for two, 2 ½ hours for younger people who are starting to attend shows could be a long time. Ideally this could be a good fit for a wide range of ages.”

The production is sandwiched between activities including a visit from Santa, a sweet shop featuring local bakeries, and a chance to decorate pointe shoes.

The students in the production are “learning and growing,” Owen said, and out to give an improved performance each year.

“Even if you’re coming year after year, you’re still getting a higher and higher quality experience every year,” she said. “They’re learning and growing and we love that this is part of their holiday tradition and their training.”

Justin worked with Ballet Wichita as a guest artist last year, and the company liked him so much that he was hired in February as artistic director.

“The experience was so positive. It was such a great community, and the board of directors was really supportive,” said Justin, who has already staged a new version of “Tom Sawyer” for ballet in the park this summer and is staging “Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Orpheum in the spring.

For the first time since COVID, the student matinees have returned, with 4,000 students from USD 259 scheduled to see the performance.

A guest artist from the New York City Ballet will be featured alongside the 105 dancers (representing 20 different dance schools), performing with live music from a 30-person orchestra.

A former principal dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet in England, as well as a soloist with companies in Boston and San Francisco, Justin was most recently a 17-year tenured professor of dance at the University of Texas at Austin, and says he loves the artistic vibe of Wichita.

“I love how much energy and support there is for the arts and how much fresh energy there are in the arts,” he said. “They’re a really great group of people who want to make a positive impact on the community as a whole. I’m happy to join them.”

‘THE NUTCRACKER’ BY METROPOLITAN BALLET

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27

Where: Century II concert hall, 225 W. Douglas

Tickets: $15-$45, from selectaseat.com

‘SHORT AND SUITE NUTCRACKER’ BY DANCE MECHANIX

When: 6:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 2-3; 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3; 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4

Where: Wichita Center for the Performing Arts, 9112 E. Central

Tickets: $25 for ages 17 ad older, $15 for youth, from dancemechanix.biz/nutcracker

‘THE NUTCRACKER’ BY BALLET WICHITA

When: 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 16-17; 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18

Where: Century II concert hall, 225 W. Douglas

Tickets: $25-$55, from selectaseat.com