Starting off dancing as an angel and a party girl in “The Nutcracker,” the now Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) principal dancer Amanda Cochrane, has taken part in the Christmas-time tradition since she was 10 years old.

“It’s a wonderful tradition,” Cochrane said. “When you hear sugar plum music you think of Christmastime.”

PBT will begin its annual production of “The Nutcracker” at the Benedum Center from Dec. 2-27 with the original score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and the Artistic Director Terrence Orr’s vision. This is the 15th year for Orr’s Pittsburgh-styled adaptation.

“I wanted this production to be the city’s own,” Orr said in a press release. “I wanted Pittsburghers to feel a sense of familiarity, of home, because this show is such a tradition for so many families.”

PBT’s “The Nutcracker” tells the story of a young girl named Marie and the dream she has the night of Christmas Eve. The beginning of the show starts off with the party scene and then transitions into the beginning of Marie’s dream when the nutcracker doll she receives as a gift turns into a Prince.

After intermission, the second act opens up to Marie and the Prince in his kingdom, where many numbers are performed for the two like the Sugar Plum Fairy.

“It carries the comfort and warmth of tradition, yet it is never the same show twice. We are always finding new wrinkles in the characters, new layers to the story and variations in the dancing,” Orr said. “I really do believe that you could watch each of the 26 shows and discover something new each time. There is something magical about that.”

The tradition started for Cochrane in her hometown of Spokane, Wash. when the Alberta Ballet Company auditioned young dancers from the area for their production of “The Nutcracker.”

Later she joined PBT’s graduate program in 2007, and was offered a spot in the company in 2009 where she has since been a part of “The Nutcracker” in Pittsburgh.

“It’s a lot of fun when the music starts playing around the studio and stuff it makes me want to go Christmas shopping,” Cochrane said.

Kyleigh Suesser, a senior dance major said she remembers the first time she watched a performance of “The Nutcracker” in New York City when she was 12 years old.

“The story is really good, it’s magical,” Suesser said. “The music is also very popular so when you hear it you think of ‘The Nutcracker,’ and you want to go see it.”

Cochrane will dance different roles throughout the season’s performances. She said some of these characters include the lead, Marie, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Snow Queen, Arabian and Shepherdess.

“My favorite role is Marie, it’s a lot of fun to perform on stage,” Cochrane said. “It’s very free and flowy.”

Suesser said the Sugar Plum Fairy is one of her favorite variations and characters in the show.

Cochrane said another aspect she loves is seeing children react to the ballerinas and their pointe shoes.

There are details that Cochrane said she hopes the audience pays attention to during the performance.

“There’s a lot of tricks going on and a lot of little jokes going during the party scene,” Cochrane said. “Every time you come back you’ll see something new. Enjoy it and keep your eye out for those little details.”

Performances run Dec. 2-27 at the Benedum Center. Students receive a discounted price on tickets of $16 using promo code PBTPPU. For more information about this performance or PBT, students can visit pbt.org.