For many central Iowa residents, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without Robert Thomas, Miyoko Kato and their dancers.

Thomas and Kato, who run the Robert Thomas Dancenter in Ames, are the husband-and-wife choreography team responsible for the Iowa State Center’s annual production of “The Nutcracker Ballet” for the last 23 years.

“The Nutcracker” is an old hat for us, but it’s new for the kids,” Thomas says. “You can just feel the energy, the enthusiasm in the room. They’re just rearing to go. It never gets old in that sense.”

Every year, Kato and Thomas come back to tell the holiday classic of a little girl named Clara who receives a toy nutcracker. That night, she dreams of a magical candyland world for her and her nutcracker where they watch the dance performed by the people of this land.

In addition to putting the show together every year, Thomas and Kato were instrumental in getting this holiday tradition started.

“The Pittsburgh Ballet came through with a production in 1978, and it did very well,” Thomas says.

Thomas and Kato had recently retired as professional dancers and moved from New York City to Ames. They purchased a dance school and approached the Iowa State Center about putting on a local production soon after.

“It took us two years to get it all together,” Thomas says. “There were no local productions of in Iowa at the time, so none of the dancers really knew the story.”

“In Eastern Europe, it is performed year-round,” Kato says. “It’s really more of the ballet, whereas here it is more of a holiday tradition.”

Thomas says nearly 400 performers from 30 schools sent students to audition this year. Thomas says these dancers come from all over central Iowa.

“We ended up having to turn away quite a few,” he says, “which we hate to do.”

Each year, “The Nutcracker” brings in two principal dancers to play the roles of the Sugarplum Fairy and the Cavalier. This year, Bonnie L. Pickard from Ballet NY will perform the part of the Sugarplum Fairy, and Jared Ridick of the Boston Ballet will perform the part of the Cavalier.

“We have a lot of performers who show up year after year to be in this,” Thomas says. “A lot of them know almost every role.”

Crystal Cook is one performer who was grown up with the show. This year will be the 11th time the Des Moines native has performed in “The Nutcracker.”

“It’s just something I don’t think I could live without at this point in my life,” she says. “It just feels very at home.”

Not everyone in the production is a veteran, though, or even an Iowa native. Dmitriy Komm, junior in journalism and mass communication, is one of this year’s newcomers.

Komm has danced with the Des Moines Ballet for two years and decided to join “The Nutcracker” this year.

“I just wanted something new to experience,” he says. “So far, it’s been great. Everyone is so helpful and friendly.”

“The Nutcracker”

Stephens Auditorium

Friday through Sunday

7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday

$14.50, $15.50, $16.50