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A Holiday Tradition Mar ks a New Milestone B Y R E N E E B R I N C K S T his December, nearly 100 young dancers will recreate a holiday favorite during Dance Kids of Monterey County's 24th annual "Nutcracker : A Monterey Peninsula Tradition." And for the first time ever, they'll be backed by a 39-member symphony orchestra performing Tchaikovsky's classic score. Carol Richmond, Dance Kids founder and artistic director, calls the Monterey County Pops! partnership "a dream come true." "It's a huge educational leap for our dancers. This is an opportunity that most don't have, unless they go on to dance professionally," she says. The performance is one of several dance and theater programs that students can experience through the nonprofit. In recent years, Richmond and her team have added local ele- ments to the headlining December event, intro- ducing attendees to historical sites and person- alities. Some 700 area schoolchildren also attend an annual free performance before the show opens to the public. "The arts are vital to the growth of the human spirit, but many of these students don't have access to arts education," says Richmond. "In a challenging world, we need to provide kids with these wonderful, uplifting opportunities." "Nutcracker: A Monterey Peninsula Tradition" performances take place December 8-10 at Carmel's Sunset Center. Details and tickets are at www.sunsetcenter.org. For more on Dance Kids of Monterey County, please visit www.dancekids.org. SHORTCUTS AT LARGE Carol Richmond has teamed up with Monterey County Pops! this year, giving her dancers the opportunity to perform the Nutcracker with a live symphony orchestra. 78 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 7 Photo: Kelli Uldall