Several neighborhood children and parents will star in the City Dance Theatre’s performance this month of the Nutcracker Ballet. The Dance Theatre is a dance company for pre-professional ballerinas. There are about 160 cast members of the Nutcracker, and about 90 percent of them live in our neighborhoods, including Courtney Bock, who stars as Clara, says Judy Klopfenstein, director of the Dance Theatre.

Not all members of the cast belong to the Dance Theatre. In order to fill the cast, Klopfenstein recruited dancers from her private school, the Dallas Ballet Center, which is located in our neighborhood, and other Dallas dance schools.

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The Nutcracker will be performed Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. at the Garland Performing Arts Center, 300 N. 5th in Garland. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased by calling ARTTIX at 520-ARTS.

Reading Series Recognizes Small Press Publishers

Paperbacks Plus is hosting a winter reading series to celebrate small press publishing in Dallas.

Readings are scheduled the second Sunday of each month through February at 4 p.m. Since Paperbacks Plus’ Gaston location burned in June, the store is temporarily located at 1922 Greenville.

On Dec. 12, Christine Siarka Bassett will read from her book “From Soul to Soul Through the Web”, published by Soulweb. Bassett also is a fiber artist, and pieces of her art will be displayed. Bobbi Su Nadal will also read from his book “Aperture”, published by Funky Feline Press.

Poet Robert Trammell will read a selection of his works Jan. 9. He has had several books published by small presses, including his own Barnburner Press, during his 20-year writing career. Jerry Kelley, a technical writer, poet and amateur paleontologist, will read from his “Three Lessons in Texas Geology”, published by Paleocene Press.

On Feb. 13, Roxy Gordon will read several of his works published by Wowapi, a press owned by his wife, Judy, and the Paperbacks Plus Press. Karen Minzer will read from her book “Tender Blue Flickers”, also printed by Wowapi.

For information, call 827-4860.

Calendar

Dec. 16 – James Mardis and Friends poetry reading at 7:30 p.m. at Justine’s Milam Gallery, 5224 Milam. The door charge is a new toy, which will be donated to the Disciple of Trinity’s hospice program. For information, call 821-9045.

Dec. 17-23 – Ballet Dallas performs “The Nutcracker”. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 18, 19, 22 and 23, a 2 p.m. matinee is scheduled. For information, call 373-8000.

Dec. 1-18 – Bob Humbug, a performance of a Christmas fable starring Rev. Bob Shows are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at the Theatre Three Below in the Quadrangle, Howell and Routh. Reservations are mandatory. For information, call 941-1751.

Dec. 1-29 – Karl Umlauf’s Selections from the Excavation and Salvage Series at D-Art Visual Art Center, 2917 Swiss, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. weekdays and noon-4 p.m. Saturdays. For information, call 821-2522.

Dec. 1-Jan. 22 – Sculpture display by New York artist Beverly Semmes, 5501 Columbia, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon-5 p.m. on Saturdays. For information, call 823-8955.

Dec. 1-Jan. 22 – Book Arts by Pamela Zwehl-Burke at 5501 Columbia, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon-5 p.m. Saturday. For information, call 823-8955.