This holiday season, eight ballet companies are performing “The Nutcracker” 27 times across Southwest Florida. Gulfshore Ballet in Fort Myers will be responsible for four of those performances.

Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” has become a tradition in Southwest Florida. Ileana Lopez, the Artistic Director at Gulfshore Ballet, says a big reason for the dance’s enduring popularity is its common appeal.

“It's about a little girl that gets a gift and that gift is a nutcracker given to her by her godfather, Drosselmeyer. So, it could be anybody's life up there on that stage,” Lopez said.

Everyone can relate to receiving a treasured Christmas gift from a favorite relative or friend. And everyone’s had at least one sugar plum dream.

While the story may be standard, this year’s “Nutcracker” will be

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