It’s very likely that Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” ballet is one of the most endearing symphonic and dance celebrations of the Christmas season. If you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it a hundred times. And if you’ve seen it a hundred times, then you know why you can’t see it just once.

Written in 1892, the ballet wears the sugary colors of its romantic era, but it somehow galvanizes a freshness each year and recaptures the young and old alike for a ride into the magic and fantasy of Clara Silberhaus’ dream world.

Bangor is fortunate to have live performances by the Robinson Ballet Company and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, who make collaborative and exhaustive annual efforts to keep this hackneyed piece sparkling with life and energy.

This year’s production, choreographed by Kelly Holyoke, Maureen Lynch and Keith Robinson, took place in three ebullient performances over the weekend at the Maine Center for the Arts (and will be repeated without the BSO next weekend at the Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth). While seasoned members of the audience might have missed the onstage finesse and expertise of the veteran dancers, (who now create the choreography and make occasional character appearances), the current corps de ballet had plenty of spunk and charm for upholding the tradition of cheer this event inspires.

Robinson has pulled deeply from the novice talent of student dancers to fill feature roles. Ian Robinson not only distinguished himself lithely as the Soldier Doll, but also performed a lovely pas de deux in the “Waltz of the Flowers” with his mother, Maureen Lynch, one of the truest ballerinas ever to dance in this company. Amanda Fahey’s Clara was sweetly little girlish. As her brother Fritz, Patrick Taylor was prankish.

Stephanie Dunham, as the Sugar Plum fairy, and Caleb McGary, as the Cavalier, highlighted the demanding Grand Pas De Deux with youthful grace, and Erica Schweikert and William J. Kane IV were the embodiment of sensuality in the Arabian divertissement.

Perhaps the most popular performer was the acrobatic Riley Watts, whose leaps and flips – not to mention an exhilarating performance as the Jack-in-the-Box – brought the audience to raucous applause during Saturday afternoon’s show.

The BSO was guest directed this year by the rollicking baton of Quebec’s Maestro Marc David. The symphony was augmented in the second half of the show by the angelic voices of the Bangor Area Children’s Choir and its conductor Michele Bremner Hall.

The Robinson Ballet will present “The Nutcracker” 7 p.m. Dec. 8 and 2 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth. For tickets, call 667-9500.