The Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley’s Pennsylvania Youth Ballet presents its 56th production of “Nutcracker,” Dec. 14, 15, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University.

It’s the longest-running “Nutcracker” production in the Lehigh Valley.

The ballet is a collaboration of Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (PYB), Zoellner Arts Center and the Lehigh University Music Department.

The performance is accompanied by a 45-piece orchestra, The Southside Sinfonietta, under the direction of Lehigh University faculty member Darin Lewis.

“We are very excited about our collaboration with Zoeller Arts Center again this year,” says PYB Artistic Director Karen Kroninger Knerr in a phone interview.

The cast of more than 100 professional, pre-professional and student performers bring the timeless Christmas tale to the stage with new costumes and props, and choreography set to the incredible score of composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

A choir of more than 80 students from Northampton Area Middle School, under the direction of Patricia Risley, and Emmaus High School, under the direction of Julia Wallace, will sing during “Waltz of the Snowflakes” and in the Zoellner lobby prior to performances.

“We are thrilled to have Beckanne Sisk and Chase O’Connell return in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier,” says Knerr. “It’s rare for us to have guest artists return twice because there are so many wonderful principal dancers to choose from across the country.

“We had so many requests for them. They were so warm and caring to our cast and they were an inspiration to the younger dancers. And to the audience, they’re impeccable dancers. Just beautiful.”

This year, Knerr added music that had previously been omitted, which allowed for a new scene in Act II.

“During the transition to the ‘Land of Sweets,’ cooks come in,” says Knerr. “Clara and her Prince come in on their sleigh and there’s some wonderful confections that are created for them, like cakes and a giant lollipop.”

The Sugar Plum Fairy will introduce the Act II divertissements: “Spanish,” “Arabian” and “Candy Cane.”

The Spanish dance includes dancers performing thrilling lifts. “There are two couples this year, which enables us to enhance the choreography.

“There’s something truly magical about all that energy and excitement coming together.

“Tevin [Johnson] in his role as Candy Cane brings down the house.”

Sharing the role of Clara are student dancers, Juliana Conklin (5th grade, Arts Academy Charter Middle School, Salisbury Township) and Lorelei Zanelli (8th grade, Nitschman Middle School, Bethlehem).

Sharing the role of Dew Drop are Ava Baraket (junior, Emmaus High School) and Isabella Massa (senior, Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Arts, Bethlehem).

Sharing the role of Snow Queen are Linnea Crouch (senior, Moravian Academy, Bethlehem Township) and Finola Heiter (senior, Southern Lehigh High School, Upper Saucon Township).

Eva Hinkle (senior, Emmaus High School) performs the Arabian Lead.

Because of an overwhelming response, PYB added a fourth public performance. In addition, there will be three performances for 3,000 area students at free or discounted prices. There will be 150 students from the Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem, Allentown and Easton attending public performances, underwritten by PYB sponsor, Cohen, Feeley, Altemose & Rambo.

“For the past six weeks, I’ve been intensively in rehearsal,” says Knerr. “I’m now in the process where I can sit back and truly see the production and the excitement through the younger dancers. I see the accomplishments that our pre-professional dancers are doing with their technique, through the process of rehearsal.

“It all comes together in this really spectacular performance. I hope people take a few hours out of their busy holiday season to enjoy something truly magical.”

Beckanne Sisk (Sugar Plum Fairy) began training with Longview Ballet Theater at age five. At 13, she moved to Philadelphia to attend The Rock School for Dance Education on a scholarship.

Sisk won the Jerome Robbins award in 2007 and competed at the Youth America Grand Prix from 2007-2010, placing 1st and 3rd.

She joined Ballet West II in 2010 at the age of 17 and joined the main company as a New Artist in 2011. She became a Principal Dancer in 2015.

Sisk won the Bronze Medal in the Beijing International Ballet Competition in June 2012 and was chosen for the Princess Grace Dance Fellowship Award. Sisk joined Houston Ballet as a Principal Dancer in August 2022. She has performed principal roles in Anna Marie Holmes’ “Don Quixote,” John Cranko’s “Romeo and Juliet” and “Onegin,” and in Adam Sklute’s adaptations of “Giselle,” “The Sleeping Beauty” and “Swan Lake.”

Sisk’s performance in Cranko’s “Onegin” was recognized by Pointe Magazine as one of the Standout Performances of 2019. Sisk was featured for two seasons on the CW television network show, “Breaking Pointe.”

Chase O’Connell (Cavalier) was born in Fredericksburg, Va., and began dancing at age two. At 13, he received a scholarship to train at the Kirov Academy of Ballet, Washington, D.C.

In 2009, he received a scholarship to train at the Royal Ballet School, London, where he performed with the English National Ballet in their 2010 “Nutcracker.”

O’Connell joined the Paris Opera Ballet and performed in their 2011 production of “Rudolf Nureyev.” In 2012, he joined Ballet West II, was promoted to the main company in 2013, and was promoted as a Principal Dancer in 2016.

O’Connell joined Houston Ballet as Principal Dancer in 2022. O’Connell has danced internationally. His performance in “Onegin” was one of Pointe Magazine’s top performances in 2019.

Tevin Johnson (Candy Cane Lead, Harlequin) is a Syracuse, N.Y., native who began his dance training at age 15. Johnson attended the Alvin Ailey Professional Division Summer Dance Intensive on a scholarship in 2013 and received a BFA in Dance from Montclair State University.

He joined the Roxey Contemporary Ballet Company, New Jersey. In 2020, Johnson joined the faculty of the City College of Manhattan’s theater department. Some of his awards and honors include the Jenni-Lynn Watson Scholarship, Cento Amici Scholarship, and the 2014 National NAACP ACT-SO Gold Medal for Dance.

Stephaen Hood (Snow King, Arabian Lead) studied at the Rock School for Dance Education, Philadelphia, on a full scholarship. In 2013, Hood received a BFA in Classical Ballet from the University of the Arts.

He performed and studied with Christopher Fleming at the Philadelphia-based Ballet-Fleming. Hood was a member of Ohio’s Verb Contemporary Ballet for three seasons and trained with Cuban National Ballet Director, Laura Alonso.

The Pennsylvania Youth Ballet-Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley, “Nutcracker,” noon, 4 p.m. Dec 14, 15, Baker Hall, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, 420 E. Packer Avenue, Bethlehem. Tickets: 610-758-2787, www.zoellnerartscenter.org.