Savannah Steele of Chelsea first saw the ballet "The Nutcracker" when she was 3 years old. Now 12, she’ll be dancing in the Youth Dance Theatre of Michigan performance, which takes place this weekend.

Her mother, Gretchen Steele, still remembers her daughter’s words, “Mom, I want to do that,” after watching the ballet the first time. And years later, mom will watch her daughter in several different parts during the three days of performances.

“What’s special,” Savannah Steele said of her ballet experience is “I’ve met a lot of new friends — younger and older — it’s a great place to meet people.”

Savannah Steele is one of about 60 dancers who began rehearsing the ballet in October under the tutelage Wendi DuBois, a former professional dancer, choreographer, and the dance company’s artistic director.

"The Nutcracker," a holiday classic, is based on a story by E.T.S. Hoffman, and the adaptation will take place in the Chelsea High School auditorium with performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased both online and at the door. Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

“It’s an incredible, high quality show, and people don’t have to go to Detroit to see "The Nutcracker," said Jane Thompson, president of the Youth Dance Theatre board, "Plus we have a brilliant artistic director.”

Youth Dance Theatre began in 1995 and has dancers from Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, Jackson, Manchester, Marshall, Pinckney, Stockbridge and Ypsilanti.

"The Nutcracker" not only includes the company’s dancers, but also local area adults and young children.

Ben Wilson and his mom, Kim Aiken of Dexter and Tori Stevens and her mom, Brenda Stevens of Chelsea, will be performing under a dragon costume as part of the second act tea party scene during some shows.

Wilson said he’s been dancing as long as there’s been a Nutcracker performance by the company.

“It’s the major thing I do,” he said of his dancing. Wilson will be headed to college next year where he plans to study both math and dance, and has already been accepted at the University of Minnesota.

He said he plans to audition for “the other U of M’s” dance program as well as the one at the University of Michigan.

“This is so incredible,” Wilson said of "The Nutcracker." “There are so many people working on this, the volunteers, the costume people and the dancers.”

One of those volunteers is Pat Kelly, whom many people know as the Dexter Township supervisor. She calls her work with the dance company “her secret life.” Kelly got involved as a volunteer, then a board member, when her daughter, Emily Leidner, began dancing as a child.

She credits the discipline and preparation learned through dancing as the solid basis for her daughter’s success in life.

Although it’s been years since she’s had a child involved in the dance company, Kelly has remained active with the non-profit’s twice-a-year productions.

“For me, truly, it’s the joy of those kids’ faces. They love it, every moment of it, and it’s a treat for me,” Kelly said.

For dancer Natalie Krienke, 11, of Ann Arbor, "The Nutcracker" is a favorite. “I think it’s special because it gives kids my age and younger a chance to actually dance in a program.”

Before the dancers took the stage for their first dress rehearsal on Nov. 30, DuBois reminded them that the production is about creating a special memory, a holiday tradition, for the audience. “It’s not about you,” she said.

The Nutcracker is one of a number of events taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday during Chelsea's Hometown Holiday. Lisa Allmendinger is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com.