The “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet,” celebrating its 30th anniversary, returns at 7 p.m. Dec. 13, State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton.

The performance, with an ensemble of international luminaries and stars of Ukraine Ballet, has 10-foot-tall puppets, breathtaking acrobatics, classical ballet and exquisite costumes.

The six-week holiday season tour encompasses the East Coast, says “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet” producer Dan Talmi of Talmi Entertainment.

The ballet’s 37 performers are from, in addition to Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Istanbul, Italy and Japan.

The tour features world-class principal artists Hitomi Takeda, as Clara, award recipient at the prestigious International Ballet Competitions of Lausanne, Varna, and Bulgaria; Haruo Niyama, as the Nutcracker Prince, winner of the Lausanne International Ballet Competition; Batur Buklu, gold medal winner at the International Ballet Competition in Istanbul; Karyna Shatkovskaya, International Ballet Competition winner in Kazakhstan and a UNESCO-recognized artist; Olena Pecheniuk, Principal Ballerina and 2022 Honored Artist of Ukraine, and Rustem Imangaliyev, honorary award recipient of the Asylmuratova International Ballet.

“The unique twist of this production,” says Talmi in a phone interview, “is that instead of the Land of Sweets, Act Two takes place in the Land of Peace and Harmony, which are the roots of this company: to communicate a message of peace amongst the nations.

“Our ballet company came out of the Glasnost period in the late 1980s, early 90s. It was a moment in Russia that was hopeful, where the old regimes were falling apart, and people were becoming free. And that’s where the storyline of this production came from.

“Masha travels to the Land of Peace and Harmony and is visited by animals that represent the wisdom and courage and different elements that are important for humanism.

“Given the situation in Ukraine, it has re-emphasized the importance of that underlying mission and message,” says Talmi.

The production had an unplanned halt because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and then the War in Ukraine. Three tours were originally booked in early 2022. After the war began, dancers were unable to leave Ukraine.

With logistical challenges in participation by some cast members, Talmi Entertainment regrouped, and succeeded in bringing the production back to the stage.

The ballet is based on the libretto, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” The score was written by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The ballet premiered in December 1892 in the Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Over the last 100 years, the story has undergone changes in various productions and is presented with creative variations.

Masha (also referred to as Clara) and her Nutcracker Prince encounter symbols of world culture: Wisdom from a Persian Elephant, Strength from a Slavic Bear, Courage from a Spanish Bull, Honesty from a French Unicorn, and Resilience from a Chinese Firebird.

“The Dove of Peace [scene] is manifest at the top of Act Two with an acro-ballet duo who are actually from Ukraine,” says Talmi.

“The traditional Russian variation in ‘Nutcracker’ is always a high point, but this season we built new costumes and we’ve chosen to highlight the Ukrainian tradition with a historic, folkloric dance routine.

“That’s something we want to do, out of respect and solidarity with our Ukrainian dancers, and as an artistic observance.

“In Act Two, peace among nations is manifest onstage when you have five, six, seven countries involved. It’s heady stuff, but we get excited about it.”

Talmi is glad to be returning to the Lehigh Valley and seeing the arts thrive again after the COVID shutdown.

“At State Theatre, they’ve been persevering and working really hard to keep the doors open. They are such a treasure in the community. Shelley [Brown] and Mark [Rafinski] have been incredible partners to us for over 30 years.

“They really believed in the production and stuck by us through the pandemic while we rebooked and tried to figure it out. I think what they do for the community in Easton is just critical,” says Talmi.

More than 20 students from the Pennsylvania Classical Ballet Academy, Northampton, will perform with the professional cast. The Academy has partnered with Talmi Entertainment since 2014.

“We have a long history with the school,” says Talmi. “They’ve been incredible partners over the years. They put in the work. It’s a wonderful opportunity for the kids to rehearse and perform with artists from around the world.

“[Children] add an incredible energy. It’s the core of bringing the community into the production. It takes the entire community to come together and make this happen,” Talmi says.

“Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet,” 7 p.m. Dec. 13, State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton. Tickets: State Theatre Center for the Arts box office, 453 Northampton St., Easton; https://statetheatre.org; 1-800-999-STATE (7828); 610-252-3132