The story of “The Nutcracker” is probably as well-known to middle America as is the original Christmas story, so there’s hardly ever anything new to be found in its dreamy plot line. Yet when the Robinson Ballet performed its annual “Nutcracker” Friday night at the Maine Center for the Arts, I began to see things I had never really seen before — an elegant family enjoying the essential pleasures of song and dance and children, a little girl expressing her unspoken fears and joys about life, and the spirit of fantasy working on the minds of a nearly full audience of children and adults.

On several occasions throughout the evening, I found myself unknowingly sitting forward in my chair hanging on the next pirouette or pas de deux. When the littlest dancer slid through the legs of Drosselmayer and charged a red cape as if he were a bull, I laughed out loud. When Aimee Audet as Clara entered the realm of the Sugar Plum Fairy and was greeted by dancers from all over the world, I, too, felt like a young girl whose dream to be a princess came true. And when the Nutcraker’s wooden leg was broken, a small tear came to my eye.

In short, the Robinson production was filled with fantasy and sparkle.

There were several noticeable changes made in this year’s show. New costumes designed by Melanie Rudolph added a fresh look to the cast. New masks by Elena Bourakovsky and old ones by J. Palmer Libby were scary and funny. Lighting designer Steve Carignan created an otherworldly mood with images of snowflakes projected onto the concert hall walls.

And the Bangor Symphony Orchestra was in good form under the direction of guest conductor Richard Rosenberg.

Upwards of 40 dancers, both students and teachers from the Greater Bangor area, made up the corps. Kelly Holyoke reprised her role as the Snow Queen, as did Heinrick Snyder as the Snow Prince, Maureen Lynch as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Keith Robinson as her Cavalier. As usual, this quartet of lead dancers showed technical skill. Lynch and Holyoke in particular maintain nearly flawless ballet technique. With the exception of Snyder, however, the principle dancers lacked a soulfulness they’ve had in years past. And in general, the choreograpy eliminated the breathtaking jumps, twirls, leaps and lifts that we’ve come to expect from these dancers. Lynch whetted our appetites with a spectacular act of propelling herself around on one leg while the other took off in rapid circular movements, but that was the only really outstanding event in these soloists’ performances.

The corps de ballet, made up primarily of females this year, was both enchanting and energetic. Little Ian Robinson stole the show with his antics particularly as the smallest mouse in the Mouse King’s regiment. Jennifer Monahan as an Arabia belly dancer and in the “Waltz of the Flowers” proved herself a dancer worth keeping an eye on.

Aimee Audet was charming as Clara. Not only did she have talent as a dancer, but her sincerity was never saccharine, which is not an easy feat considering how gracious Clara must be.

Robb Thomas as a Cossack dancer won rounds of applause with his low-to-the-floor kicks, and the Reed Pipes ensemble with the effervescent Sandy Hartley with Alexander Zendzian, Dame Gray, Emily Hanson, Emily Sproch and Robert Libbey was a hoot.