Though it departs somewhat from a traditional Nutcracker, Francis Patrelle’s staging, starring guests from New York City Ballet alongside up-and-coming ballet students of all ages, has stood the test of time. In its 20th anniversary season, Dances Patrelle’s The Yorkville Nutcracker brought its signature local historical flare to the Upper East Side’s Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College on December 11.

The evening is accompanied by a detailed prologue, story, and history—complete with photographs and descriptions of New York City in 1895, when the ballet is set. The story is a welcome accessory, and lets the audience in on the nontraditional characters.

The opening party scene introduces the audience to recently elected Mayor William L. Strong and his family, who are welcoming dignitaries foreign and domestic—including then-city official Teddy Roosevelt—to Gracie Mansion. The children cast in the scene are delightful. Sophia Romagnoli, as Mary Strong, and Ethan Wood, as Putnam Bradley Strong (Dances Patrelle’s answers to Clara and Fritz, respectively) share playful brother-sister bickering, while the other children play along and take sides in a little Christmas battle. Uncle Noah Wheaton, played by the role’s originator, Donald Paradise, brings Mary a Nutcracker as a Christmas gift, setting into motion the traditional story with its Yorkville spin.

Through the story, we’re transported around New York. From Gracie Mansion to Central Park to the Botanical Gardens, the setting of the ballet is true to its localized name, though it brings little in the way of narrative value. The New York Botanical Gardens is home to what would be the kingdom of sweets, and is where we meet the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier, played by New York City Ballet principal dancers Abi Stafford and Adrian Danchig-Waring. Though the Sugarplum and Cavalier appearances were brief, in true NYCB form, the two were technically exquisite, and certainly shining stars among the night’s performers. Their grand pas de deux closed the story, and the evening, beautifully.

The rest of the cast was a pleasure to watch—in large part for the light and joy in the faces of some of the younger kids onstage—and the evening had its fair share of bright moments. From the Snow King, Queen, and Prince to the Waltz of the Flowers and each country’s national dance, The Yorkville Nutcracker was a visual holiday treat for adults and kids alike.