The holidays are finally here, and this year the Moorpark College Symphony Orchestra, Choral, and Dance Department are welcoming the holidays with a showing of the Christmas classic, the Nutcracker.

Nick Turner, a 24-year-old business major, is excited about seeing the Nutcracker performed at MC.

“I am looking forward to seeing the production quality,” said Turner. “This is my first show I have attended here at Moorpark. I love the holidays. This is my favorite time of the year.”

The ballet, based on the story the Nutcracker and the King of Mice, was first premiered on Dec. 17, 1892 and continues to be played every holiday season over 100 years later.

The story is of a young German girl, Clara, who receives a nutcracker prince as a gift that becomes a hit at the Christmas party. The nutcracker is later broken by another person and Clara becomes saddened. When the party ends, she sneaks back to the Christmas tree where her nutcracker stands. She then falls asleep with the nutcracker in her arms, and this begins the magical story of Clara’s dream of a nutcracker prince having a fierce battle with a Mouse King.

“The Nutcracker” has been showing at Moorpark College off and on for many years. Due to the length of the original story, the MC symphony, choral, and dance departments will only be showing selections from “The Nutcracker,” mostly from the second act.

The first half of the play will be performed by the choral department (directed by Vail Keck), with the second half will be performed by the MC dancers (directed by Robert Salas) and the orchestra (directed by James Song).

A total of about 170 students will be performing in this show; all of whom have been preparing for nearly the entire fall semester.

James Song is in his 17th year as a music professor at Moorpark College. He is also Director of MC Symphony Orchestra, and Chair of the Music Department.

“I am always excited about our performances,” Song said.

This year, due to the tough times many have been facing, Song especially hopes to set a mood of a happy, dreamy environment where his audience can forget their problems.

“I want my audience to be at piece and relaxed,” he said.

The MC Orchestra is recognized throughout the community. In the past they have been involved with many of the events held by the City of Moorpark and every year the Orchestra performs the full showing of “The Nutcracker” at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are priced at $8 for students, and $16 for anyone else wishes to attend.