Ballet West's newest production of "The Nutcracker" isn't overwhelming, hyper-acrobatic, or showy. As originally intended, this is a ballet for children -- and well done at that.

This wonderful treatment of "The Nutcracker" reaches youngsters through the calm and beauty of discovery, rather than the noise or dazzle of technology. The Snow scene in ACT I was stunning. An ice-blue scrim and brilliant lighting created an idyllic atmosphere for gently falling snowflakes, and was the perfect metaphor for the expression of individual dancers. As each snowflake is unique, each dancer contributed her own interpretation even as she was part of a perfect yet ever-changing whole. The staging and costuming of this scene felt as fresh as new fallen snow. Dancer Arolyn Williams' lightness and precision made her irresistible to watch.

The cast of young dancers are the focus of the party scene in ACT I. All are lively performers who tell the story seemingly unaware of the adults, who do little more than shepherd them off to bed at the end of the act. Dancer Bailey Jones was a lovely and natural Clara.

The whole act, in fact, is filled with joyous performances. The mice are hilarious as they pantomime and mug to the audience, and the sword fight between the Mouse King and the Nutcracker is exciting but not frightening. Even the character of Dr. Drosselmeyer, who is often portrayed as scary or lascivious, is someone to whom children might realistically be drawn.

The beauty of Willam F. Christensen's "The Nutcracker," as reconstructed this year, is that it hangs together as a theatrical piece. After all, "The Nutcracker' is a ballet constructed of many separate sections. When the narrative is strong enough to work as an evening-length work, each section retains its significance but the whole becomes a more interesting piece of theater.

ACT II's stand out performances included Nathaniel King in the Spanish Dance, Jacqueline Straughan and Aaron Orlowski in the Arabian Dance, Owen Gaj in the Russian Dance, and Christiana Bennett and Christopher Ruud as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.

The "Waltz of the Flowers" was spectacular. With its exhilarating choreography and staging, it was like watching the stop-action photography of flowers opening and closing before our eyes, with unbelievable yet natural accuracy.

Lighting by M. Kay Barrell, costumes by David Heuvel, and sets by Ariel Ballif make this on-stage world stylish and smart. All that, plus live music by the talented Utah Chamber Orchestra conducted by Terence Kern are the underpinnings of success for Ballet West's magical performance of "The Nutcracker."