A second venue with a different orchestra, a guest artist who previously performed with Dance Theatre of Harlem and a larger cast are among the new presents under the tree for Ballet Western Reserve’s production of “The Nutcracker.”

In addition to its performances Saturday and Sunday at Youngstown’s Powers Auditorium accompanied by the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, BWR also will bring the holiday ballet to William A. Passavant Center at Thiel College in Greenville, Pa., where it will be accompanied by the Greenville Symphony Orchestra on Dec. 14.

Danielle Perrotta, executive and artistic director for the ballet company, credited GSO Conductor Michael Gelfand with the new partnership. Gelfand has accompanied the ballet as a member of the Youngstown orchestra, and his daughter is a former student.

“They haven’t done ‘The Nutcracker’ there in 10 years or so, and they were looking for a ballet company to do it there with them,” she said. “Those talks started last year around this time, and we’re so fortunate to be invited to perform with them.”

In addition to exposing BWR to a new audience, the partnership gives its dancers additional stage experience.

“My stage manager and even the crew at DeYor will always look at me and say, ‘You gotta do this show again. Can’t you take this show on the road?'” Perrotta said. “Now we finally have that opportunity. They are very excited.”

Working with different orchestras and different conductors also is an educational experience. This will be Dean Buck’s third year conducting YSO for “The Nutcracker,” and the first time the students have worked with Gelfand as a conductor and the GSO.

“Even those with a few years of experience, they have to be ready and on their toes — literally — because you never know if the tempo is going to change in a certain place,” Perrotta said. “We’ve been coaching them that you have to watch for the conductor. Sometimes, when he puts his hands up to start the music, that’s their cue to go.”

For this year’s production, BWR is bringing in professional dancer Fredrick Davis for the role of the Cavalier in the second act. Davis performed with Dance Theatre of Harlem on national and international tours and has been a guest artist with Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Ballet Tucson, Dance Theatre of Harlem, San Jose Dance Theatre, New Jersey Ballet Company and Connecticut Ballet.

“When I started talking with him, I knew that he was the right person for the role, and it really does bring our production to that next level,” Perrotta said. “And it’s a great experience for the dancers to work with a professional artist, and for the audiences too.

“For our dancers to be able to not just meet these professionals or even take their classes but to actually work with them and learn choreography beside them and learn their professionalism, it’s very invaluable. Not a lot of kids in our area get that opportunity, and we’re very, very mindful of that and grateful.”

More young dancers will get that experience in 2024. Last year’s production featured about 70 dancers. This year’s cast has more than 100 performers.

“I had a lot of little ones that came to audition, which I was so excited for,” Perrotta said. “So we were able to add roles. We were able to really fill the stage in ways that we haven’t before.”

In addition to Fredrick, the cast includes (in alphabetical order): Clara Barrett, Stella Barrett, Leah Beckert, Caroline Benson, Mary Benson, Serenity Boatwright, Adrienne Booth, Isa Booth, Josephine Booth, Neale Booth, Nina Boyer, Tillie Buonavolonta, Addison Campbell, Ava Carbon, Julia Cardwell, Isabella Cerni, Sabrina Cole, Anne Conti, Julie Conti, Amelia Crawford, Lilah Davis, Lucy Dawson, Ruby Dellamaggiore, Rosemary Dellamaggiore, Pauline Conti, Vivian Cox, Ella DeVries, Tessa Dolan, Constance Fabek, Tessa Fedor, Willa Felton, Emma Fenstermaker, Nathan Fenstermaker, Norah Fenstermaker, Sammy Fenstermaker, Amanda Fetty, Madelyn Fetty, Juno Forte, Brooklyn Fronk, Amia Gatta, Diana Gates, Julia Gates, Hannah Gettemy, Henry Hartley, Helena Heinselman, Demi Henegan, Annarose Hill, Sofia Hinkle, Kait Howard, Jericho Johnson, Jezreel Johnson, Jireh Johnson, Josephine Johnson, Stella Kasten, Nomiki Kefalianos, Olivia Kusky, Charlotte Lamanna, Mira Martin, Elliana McClaine, Alexis McCrea, Lila McCrea, Addison McGee, Ella McGee, Mila Medure, Teagan Mellot, Isla Merrick, Aiden Miladore, Camille Miner, Christine Monfort, Brooklynn Moran, Lyla Morrison, Landry Naumoff, Grace Nevels, Paige Nevels, Summer Olesky, Madison Paine, Evelyn Pasquale, Josephine Pasquale, Tino Perrotta, Lillian Pezzuolo, Delana Ragan, Mara Ragan, Elizabeth Rock, Josslin Ross, Brooklyn Ruark, Isabella Scott, Aurelia Sewickley, Lucy Shaffer, Revah Sharma, Tayah Smith, Tessa Smith, Clara Solich, Isabelle Sosnosky, Aaliyah Straughter, Gracie Taylor, Gracie Theis, Shawn Theis, Maria Tsikouris, Maria Vamvakis, Isabella Vargas, Natasha Welch, Vivian Welch-Young, Maria Wilson, Raina Yeasted, Rosalind Yeasted, Elizabeth Zavoral and Mary Zavoral.

If you go …

WHAT: Ballet Western Reserve — “The Nutcracker”

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Powers Auditorium, 260 W. Federal St., Youngstown

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $35 for adults, $30 for senior citizens and students and $20 for children age 11 and younger and are available at the DeYor Performing Arts Center box office, online at experienceyourarts.org and by calling 330-259-9651.

ALSO: Ballet Western Reserve will perform “The Nutcracker” backed by the Greenville Symphony Orchestra and Michael Gelfand, conductor, at 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at William A. Passavant Center at Thiel College, Greenville, Pa. Tickets for that performance are $30 for adults, $20 for students ages 7 to college and $10 for children ages 6 and younger and are available online at thegreenvillesymphony.org.