Grace Goslin, Ainsley Nolan and Nadia d’Arrigo show off their moves the week before opening.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker, running December 4 through 27 is a huge undertaking involving more than 100 dancers, lavish costumes and multiple casts. Many of the children who attend PBT School play roles in the production, and some of them live in Mt. Lebanon.

Nadia d’Arrigo, Ainsley Nolan and Grace Goslin are Mt. Lebanon residents who have spent weeks rehearsing for their parts in The Nutcracker. Here’s what they have to say about their roles:

“I’m playing a soldier. My costume is blue with white pants, and it’s really hard to move the arms. I like the part a lot, though. It’s very fun.” -Nadia D’Arrigo, Age 9

“I am playing the roles of party boy and carousel. The party scene is cool because there is a lot of acting involved. For carousel, I like being inside the horse. It’s hard to control, but it’s fun to ride around in.” -Ainsley Nolan, Age 11

“I get to be the bumblebee in the second act. My favorite part is at the very end, when I pull out my stinger and the audience laughs.” -Grace Goslin, Age 9

Be sure to look for them in The Nutcracker and, if you run into any of them this week, don’t forget to wish them “Break a leg,” “toi toi toi” or “merde”— we know they will be great!