José Mateo Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker” returns for its 36th season this month with 14 performances scheduled at Dorchester’s Strand Theatre.

This year’s edition of the world’s most popular ballet opens with a 2 p.m. matinee performance this Saturday (Dec. 7) and concludes on Sun., Dec. 22, with a 5 p.m. show. Tickets are affordable starting at $25 – with an exclusive 20 percent discount available through The Dorchester Reporter. (Use the code DotNews20).

The company also works with more than 20 local social service agencies to provide 5,000 free and reduced tickets to under-served groups through its Community Ticket Access Program.

Over 100 children and teens will dance as Clara, Party Children, Mice, Soldiers, Polichinelles, Cherubs, and Angels. The children will join international guest artists from renowned dance companies, including Da’von Doane, former principal dancer at Dance Theatre of Harlem and Maria Perez, former JMBT summer student and current soloist with Mauro Ballet Company in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Mary Thompson, Principal of The Brookline Ballet School and former JMBT principal dancer, serves as Nutcracker Artistic Associate in helping to set the choreography of the professional roles. 

Da’von Doane and Maria Perez in a scene from The Nutcracker. Olivia Moon photography

In keeping with its long-term vision to provide dance opportunities to all in the Boston area, JMBT continues to expand its Young Dancers Program in the Dorchester Studio located at Uphams Corner. This year’s “Nutcracker” features more than 15 local children from the greater Dorchester area. Classes at the Dorchester Studio are offered to children ages 3 and up and are open to boys and girls of all backgrounds.

In addition, the Dorchester Studios offers a new Teenager’s Introduction to Ballet class designed for teens ages 11-18 with little to no dance experience for whom there has traditionally been little opportunity to learn ballet. More information about JMBT’s Dorchester programming can be found at ballettheatre.org/young-dancers-program-dorchester/

Founded in 1986, José Mateo Ballet Theatre is one of America’s leading producers of new ballets, one of the area’s most reputable ballet schools, and the originator of Dance for World Community (DWC), a project created in 2008 to expand the organization’s mission that has always focused on equity and diversity in dance performance, training and community programs.

Over the past 30 years, Cuban-born Artistic Director and Founder José Mateo has developed his unique vision of using the power of dance to inspire and engage today’s diverse audiences in creative, non-traditional ways. In 2018, Mateo received the state’s highest award, the Commonwealth Award for Achievement from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

From 1988 until 2019, the Company regularly presented Mateo’s highly acclaimed concerts at its own Sanctuary Theatre in its Harvard Square home at Old Cambridge Baptist Church.

Visit ballettheatre.org for more information.