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New looks, beloved moves — here’s one of our favorite signature moments from Ballet West’s ‘The Nutcracker’

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Ballet West dancers rehearse the Grand Pas de deux from The Nutcracker

While Ballet West’s “The Nutcracker” will have a grand new look for its Dec. 2-20 run at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City, the beloved choreography of company founder Willam Christiansen will remain the same, including the always-anticipated Grand Pas de Deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.

We recently recorded Katlyn Addison and Rex Tilton, one of four casts for “The Nutcracker” run, rehearsing the duet and asked the dancers and artistic director Adam Sklute to describe their favorite moments in this signature piece. (Note: The video and score have been edited for length.)

Sklute’s favorite moment comes toward the end, at 2:30-2:46: “At the very end, they’re at the center of the stage, right before the last three big poses, a very quiet moment – he promenades her around and you hear that simple descending scale and there is an inevitability that this was supposed to happen. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier were meant to be together.”

Addison points us to 1:37-2:08: “Both dancers are very tired at this point and they have to find energy and they find it in the music. It’s just so exciting at this point and it feels like a fire in your gut that helps you find the strength. You have to be soft in the upper body but have so much power in your legs.”

For Tilton, “The entrance to the pas de deux sets an entirely different tone from the beginning and all the way through. The divertissements in Act II are very entertaining in a crowd-pleasing way, and then we step onto stage with a Fred Astaire/Cyd Charisse smooth elegance. It sets it apart from everything else that been going on. Very classy — very romantic.”

Ballet West’s “The Nutcracker”<br>When •Dec. 2-30; evening showtimes at 7 p.m., with additional matinees; check balletwest.org/events/nutcracker2017 for showtimes<br>Where• Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City<br>Tickets• $20-$88, at ArtTix outlets, 801-869-6920 or balletwest.org<br>Sugar Plum Party• Dec. 9-30 after most matinee performances; join the Sugar Plum Fairy and friends onstage for cookies and punch, an ornament and photo; $11

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Ballet West dancers rehearse the Grand Pas de deux from The Nutcracker