The Little Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker” leaps to life on Astoria High School’s stage this weekend with three performances: at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7.

Theater-goers, get set to celebrate Tchaikovsky’s treasured Christmas season ballet. “The Nutcracker” invites adults and children of all ages to suspend reality and embrace their childhood imagination. Full of music, dance, visions of spinning sugar plums and dueling soldiers, the ballet brings its magic and sense of wonderment to Astoria — as it has each December for the past 40 years.

Curtain up. It’s Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaums’ elegant home. Wreaths and swags bring nostalgic seasonal aromas. Lights twinkle. Center stage, a magnificent Christmas tree prepares to share its magical qualities. Families, girls and boys, flower sellers, nuns, a constable, nannies and maids, all dressed in their finery gather and greet. Look closely and you’ll see Sen. Betsy Johnson among the Saturday afternoon guests. Saturday night, Astoria Mayor-elect Arline LaMear and her escort will dance across the stage. On Sunday, watch for Rep. Debbie Boone on the Stahlbaums’ guest list.

If ever the idiom “it’s got legs” applies (in this case almost literally), Jeanne Maddox Peterson and her troupe of dedicated dancers, instructors and behind-the-scenes troopers set a fine example of how to achieve a quality production outside a major city. It all started as a pas de deux between Peterson and dance 65 years ago when she opened Maddox Dance Studio. Fifteen years later, she formed the Little Ballet Theatre, a 501(c)(3) educational grant foundation recognized by the Oregon Cultural Trust.

“Our first ‘Nutcracker’ in 1964 was a 20-minute production in Astoria at the former Riviera movie theater. It’s where the Columbian is now,” says Peterson. “The theater manager called and asked if we could do a little show before the free weekly afternoon cartoons were shown. Our music came from a record player sitting on a chair — I warned everybody there to stay away from that chair.

“Longer productions followed. The music advanced, too. We went from an LP, to an open reel, to a cassette, then a CD. And now for many years, we have had a live 50-piece Little Ballet Theatre Orchestra.”

Fast forward. The orchestra is now under the direction of Jewell music teacher Cory Pederson. “There aren’t many orchestras like this in Oregon,” he says. “This year we will have 51 musicians playing as we salute to the 40th. We’re really excited about this anniversary, and we hope the audience will be, too. The dancers and the musicians can feel the audience’s energy. It’s more fun to be performing when there’s interaction between all of us.”

Pederson’s personal copy Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” score contains not only the score but hundreds of Pederson’s own notations. The Little Ballet Theatre Orchestra, made up of professional musicians, performs together for the first time as a group at the Dec. 5 dress rehearsal. The audience at the dress rehearsal is composed of adult care center residents from around the area that the theater has made a tradition of inviting. Before the rehearsal begins, ballerinas in their tutus go into the audience, personally greeting and presenting Nutcracker programs. If that act in itself doesn’t create some Christmas spirit, well:

This year’s major role, Clara, is performed by 12-year-old Aiko Miller, a seventh grader at Hilda Lathi Elementary School in Knappa. The Nutcracker/Prince is Christopher Cruz, a senior at Knappa High School, where he wrestles and plays football. Eleven-year-old Rocky Rue, a student a Lewis and Clark Elementary in Astoria who plays Clara’s little brother, Fritz, is a perfect selection for a pesky little tease.

The ballet has a long tradition of featuring guest artists. In 1964, Richard Gibbs and Victoria Pulkkinen from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Co. danced with the Little Ballet Theatre. “Gibbs at the time was attending Harvard Medical School,” Peterson recalls. “He is currently company physician for the San Francisco Ballet. Pulkkinen is now on faculty at Dance Spectrum, a prominent dance school and company in Seattle.”

This year, guest dancers Elizabeth Barret and Andrew Taft, from Ballet Idaho, will make their third appearance in the Little Ballet Theatre’s “Nutcracker.”

“A lot of our past dancers return each year to see our current ‘Nutcracker’ production, especially former Claras,” says Peterson. “This year in particular we’ve heard from many former dancers who will be with us as we celebrate. We have 40 years of different Clara dresses that we plan to display in the high school lobby during our performances.”

Long before each year’s production hits the stage, instructors and more than 75 Little Ballet Theatre dancers, both first-timers and long-timers, begin auditioning for the numerous roles. Many try. All make it. “We never turn anyone down,” Peterson says. The dancers may not get the part they audition for, but we find something for them.”

Dan Sutherland has appeared for more than 20 years as Dr. Drosselmeyer, Clara’s godfather and the keeper of the nutcracker before giving it to Clara. He came into the production as a backstage volunteer when his daughter was dancing. “The energy around here was and is so good. It’s a great family,” says Sutherland.

Off stage, more than 50 non-dancing volunteers prepare the necessary tasks that bring the ballet to the stage. Office receptionist and stage manager Pam Morimoto has been in the front office since 1990. Peterson refers to her “as my right hand and my left, too.”

The host of moms, dads, community volunteers and supporters are indispensable. Stage manager Ann Brown and her husband, prop guru Jay Brown, have helped with the show for 27 years. And Debby Barbic has been altering costumes for more years than anyone can remember. Each and every one of the behind-the-scenes volunteers is treasured for their efforts, down to the helper who remembers to bring a pizza cutter for lunch. “We couldn’t do this without them,” says Peterson.

It works both ways. From youngest 7-year-old performers to, well, whatever their age, the dancers and those behind the scenes are enjoying their roles as they see “The Nutcracker” come to life for another year.

Forty years ago, Jeanne Maddox Petersen set about bringing her vision of the traditional ballet to Astoria. It continues to be all things merry and bright.