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For more than a century, “The Nutcracker” has been performed on stages large and small all over the world.

For every year in central Maine, the students of the Bossov Ballet Theatre show showed off three months of work in three days at their annual showing of “The Nutcracker” staged at the Waterville Opera House in Waterville.

The students and Artistic Director Natalya Getman started working in September with new choreography completed in November to give the dancers time to refine both the technical and artistic aspects of the performance. Advanced dancers trained Monday through Saturday, averaging around three hours a day. Many are also students at Pittsfield’s Maine Central Institute, where the ballet theater is now affililated, where they train.

The dancers have different experience levels, ranging in age from 6 to 48, and are classically trained ballet dancers and theater actors who portray the parents in the production.

Jane Weymouth, a student at the University of Maine and a Maine Central Institute alum, returned to perform with the ballet. She said it was difficult to leave because of the program’s strong sense of belonging and dedication.

Weymouth, 19, has been dancing for 16 years. “I remember I started when I was little, I was a little gingerbread. I absolutely loved it,” she said.

The production teaches many aspects of ballet, including artistry, technique and storytelling. Weymouth said Getman encourages dancers to feel the artistry and emotions of their characters and portray them accurately.

“You’re contributing to an art form where you create magic for an audience to experience,” she said. “”That’s a powerful and beautiful thing.”

The story follows young Marie (Clara in some versions), who is given a nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve as a gift from her Uncle Drosselmeyer. That night, the doll comes to life, battles the Mouse King and transforms into a prince who takes Marie to a magical place. There, she is welcomed by the Sugar Plum Queen and treated to a series of enchanting dances before awakening from what may have been a dream.

Getman asks herself each year how to make the production feel new and fresh for both returning and first-time audiences. At the same time, she recognizes there are limits to how much the story can change while still honoring the tradition audiences know and love.

Getman said her dancers are the tools and materials in her hands, inspiring her each year with new ideas and new approaches to performance. She said having such a wide age range in a production like “The Nutcracker” helps make ballet more accessible and enjoyable for audiences of all ages.

While some costumes are reused annually, others are bought new or made from scratch depending on artistic vision and budget.

Over the years, the ballet has worked with seamstresses who create costumes based on Getman’s designs, but in some cases, Getman makes the costumes herself, as she did with the Harlequin Doll.

“My goal with costumes is always to create a cohesive flow in color palette, style and functionality for the choreography. The same approach applies to props and backdrops.” Getman said.

This year marked the ballet’s 30th anniversary. Over the years, the company has maintained a strong commitment to professionalism. This upcoming summer will mark Getman’s 26th anniversary with BBT and in 2013 she created a new production of “The Nutcracker.” Since then, there has never been an exact repeat of choreography, costumes or scenery.

Getman said each year begins with a certain level of stress and fear, wondering how she will bring “The Nutcracker” together. She added that she is grateful for the strength and creativity the universe provides, and, most importantly, for the students, guest artists, maintenance crew and many others who help bring the magic to the audience.

Guillermo Franco, BBT’s program manager, reflected on this year’s performance, “I can say with confidence that this production represents the highest level of “The Nutcracker” in Maine, grounded in the deep traditions of the Russian Vaganova method and shaped by Natalya’s distinctive and innovative approach.”